


Conviction

by GhostingAlong



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF, mcyt
Genre: Anarchy, Angst, Dream has a sexuality crisis, Fluff, George interrogation era uh oh uh ohhh, I AM SO SORRY GEORGE, KARLNAPITY FOR THE WIN BABYYYYYY, Kissing, M/M, Medieval au again, Mentions of Wilbur, Monarchy, Prince!Dream, TUBBOS HERE, Tommy and george interaction YOOOO, Tommys here woooo, Wilbur soot is relevant to the plot yoo, all i do is bring George pain im so sorry, ayo ball check i love balls, but it's not homophobia it's internal conflict, chapter 7 is Sapnap centric finally, chapter 9 is gonna be WILD yall, criminal!george, day trip with Karlnapity lets GOO, dnf nation get their fluff, dream and george are so in love its painful, dream and george have a moment, dream is an idiot sometimes, dream pretends to be confident, dreams got too much damn pride, dreams temporarily mad at tommy but its not too bad, eret is slightly suspicious but hey I trust that guy, fundy is a clothing maker thingy, george gets hurt pretty badly, george has internalised homophobia lol, george is convicted of a crime he didnt commit, he and dream share much needed affection, i wonder who they are hmmm, im a sucker for these aus leave me alone, implied/referenced NSFW, in his plan, knight!sapnap, like literally its just them kissing and then i write abt them melting into eachother, mentions of Techno, mentions of eret, mentions of sapnap, mentions of tubbo - Freeform, non explicit smut, not really he just throws him back into his cell, nothing goes wrong thankfully, ooh damn plot points, pretty boy swag, punz is a bit meh tbh, punz is here but i dont think he's too swag as he is irl, ranboo here o7, ranboo iz a little nervous, sapnap and george have a good friendship despite knowing eachother for like 2 days, sapnap george and techno share a fun little moment, sapnap has two husbands, sapnap is a background character i cant find how to implement him into the story :(, sapnap is so cool, sapnaps still a side character sadly, shenanegans ensue, some dream and george angst at the end im so sorry dnf nation, tags to be updated, tbh fuck the king, techno is chill as hell bruh, techno is here briefly, techno saves the day, teehee, that is, they have 10 days before his execution, tommy and tubbo listen to mellohi, tommy is on dreams side instead of wilburs, tommy is quiet?? Woah, tommy only calls dream big man, uh oh, wilbur soot sus as fuck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:07:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 34,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27805831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GhostingAlong/pseuds/GhostingAlong
Summary: "I trust you." George nodded, batting his eyelids slowly, "Please keep your promise.""Promise?""Promise you'll give me a chance at life," George explained, his throat going dry as he held back afraid tears from dropping. "Too scared, I just-" He choked on his own breath. Dream used his thumb to caress the man's cheek softly, wiping away any tears."I'll never break my promise, George, I'm an honest man."---It's not every day you're framed for your mother's death simply because you're an anarchist. It's also not every day that the crowned prince is trying to help you escape before your looming execution in ten days time.Anarchist!George/Monarch!Dream
Relationships: Alexis | Quackity/Karl Jacobs, Alexis | Quackity/Karl Jacobs/Sapnap, Alexis | Quackity/Sapnap, Clay | Dream & Eret (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Wilbur Soot, Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound, Dave | Technoblade & GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Eret & Toby Smith | Tubbo, Eret & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Floris | Fundy & Sapnap, GeorgeNotFound & Luke | Punz, GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Karl Jacobs/Sapnap, Luke | Punz & Sapnap, Ranboo & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Sapnap & Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit
Comments: 42
Kudos: 254





	1. First Night

_**une** _

* * *

Life as a prince was as boring as it gets for the average young-adult; born into such high status when you'd rather, quite literally, get high. Especially for Dream, who grew up in the same castle grounds, sleeping in the same bed, eating the same cuisine and, especially, living the same life. He didn't quite experience the normalities of a commoner, though he yearned for escapism.

Dream was, well, an adventurous fellow per-se; he snuck out often, climbed the vines that crawled their way up the castle exterior and even strolled out to the village with no guard by his side except for his closest friend, Sapnap.

He couldn't have it any other way. 

Despite the constant scolding from his father, and the prayers he sung to his mother each night in hopes she'd contact him once more from the afterlife, and the lack of friends he made... Sapnap was still always there by his side. His sworn protector. His partner in crime (metaphorically, of course!).

And today, like any other boring old repetitive day, Dream had snuck out of the castle once more to witness what the local village had to offer him as entertainment. Sapnap followed closely behind, observing as commoners would drop to their knees at the sight of the prince and sing their holy hymns. He thought it was quite cringeworthy, though Sapnap was in no position to voice his opinions on the matter. 

A common occurrence Dream would witness was the detaining of a criminal, commonly lower class and clearly on the poorer side of life's beauty. He pitied them, pitied how the towns kicked them to the ground and tossed stones at their miserable form in which they would cry out in pain as one would hit an area a little too sensetive. Sheesh. You'd think the public would have enough self-respect to not throw rocks at a man's private areas, but apparently for poor men it was a different rule. An unspoken one.

Sapnap and Dream alike would grimace at this, then move on with their day. At the end of the day, criminals were criminals, no matter how badly-off they were living. And when there was a death penalty, no remorse ever followed. The two needed to keep their morals in check, they kept their chins up as they witnessed the burning of these men and weren't quick to slump back down until out of sight.

As the two voyaged along the town they grew to recognise over the years, a new criminal seemed to have been caught; this time, not for the common crimes such as stealing, but being convicted of having murdered someone; upon closer inspection, the two came to conclusion the murdered person was the criminal's own mother. Terrible! Dream wondered how someone could do such thing. Sapnap? He merely sighed, there was no use getting worked up over someone who was a good-for-nothing freak.

Dream left Sapnap behind and approached the crowd circling the person in question, not needing to break through as most people stepped out of the way for royalty anyways. 

Two Royal guards stood behind a man, not much older than Dream was, sitting on the floor and covering his face with his arms as people tossed things at him unnecessarily. He was clearly trying to defend himself, to no avail as the guards tugged on his skinny arms and pulled them roughly behind his back, one guard spoke up.

"How dare he, for the Lord preaches to us to never lay a hand on our old lady! You are a sinner, a man with no life to live, you will die at the hands of our great country's blade and we shall sing in rejoice, for you serve no purpose here no longer!"

The man remained silent, eyes fixated on the ground as the other guard tied his hands behind his back with large steel shackles.

The young man didn't seem to thrash about in the chains that held him in place like the usual guilty prisoner did; no, his body language remained calm, cool, collected. A weird contrast. 

His eyes, however, screamed fear. They had the twinge of youthful innocence engraved into their amber spots and the pupils were small, scarce. His eyes were so dark you'd probably not even notice his pupils until you got a closer look. 

Dream had never seen anything like it. 

"What goes on here?" Dream finally spoke up, grabbing both the guards' attention and causing them to glance up, regain their stances and immediately bow to the prince. One kept a firm grip on the man's shoulder, unnecessarily digging his nails in and recieving a small wince of pain from the other.

"My prince, he is a fraud. He has committed a grave sin."

"And who is here to be confirming of this?" Dream remarked, pushing the guard's pressure up to a new level.

"It is undoubtedly truthful in which he has done this, good Sir. He proclaims no defence."

"Speak." Dream twitched his head down to glance at the man on the ground, "What is your name?"

"George." The boy, George, spoke out. His lower lip trembled, though Dream was unsure if it was in distaste or terror.

"Do you have any defence? Speak now," Dream paused, he watched George's face light up with hope before it was soon to be shattered as his thoughts progressed.

"I did no such thing." His accent was prominent, voice quiet. Dream could tell he was a migrant from a separate kingdom, and their kingdom didn't take kindly to new faces - King's views, not his own.

"Rephrase."

"I did not lay a hand on my mother! I would never! She is a lovely woman, she sang me to sleep as a young boy, cooked me bread, fresh bread, every week to eat throughout. I cannot fathom the pure shame I would feel if I had done anything to her. My prince, I am an innocent man! I couldn't have done it... I... " George's voice trailed off, his brown locks of soft hair with slight grease and dirt fell into his eyes as he hung his head low. "And now, I have been portrayed as some sort of lowlife - oh, how my mother would run through the crowd and cradle me if she saw me like this. Believe me, I am a good man. There is no evil in my blood."

It was so peculiar to Dream how the boy seemed so desperate to prove himself of his innocence. He leaned down onto his knees, swatting at the guard's hand burning into George's shoulder and pat the ground beside him gently,

"Your desperation speaks volumes, though I cannot save you."

Dream could've heard the boy's heart shatter if he listened hard enough. He observed his face. The crowd had gone silent by now, and Sapnap was directly behind Dream with his sword on his hilt. George's face went from desperation to rage in a few seconds before he began to bark out angrily,

"Bastard! As though the Royal family knew of what went on down here - you knew not of who my mother was, how wonderful she was! No matter how rich your blood may be you could _never_ compare to her perfection! And now I shall be sent to my demise, all because some puny little prince cannot take the few seconds of consideration to perhaps think about the innocence of an innocent man! Shame on you!"

Before Dream could react, Sapnap had shoved him aside and pulled out his sword, laying it firmly against the side of George's head, tilting it so it could create a cut with one push of pressure if needs be. 

"You are of no status to speak to the future King like that." Sapnap said, slowly, "You're walking on a thin-fucking-line, _criminal."_

Dream pushed himself to his feet, holding out a hand to pause the sudden commotion.

"Sapnap, relax, he is of no danger to me and my pride."

Sapnap stared at Dream in pure disbelief and astonishment, before laying his sword away and pushing it back into the hilt without another word. He stepped back quietly, and with a nod, Dream looked at the two guards who seemed to be glaring holes into George's skin. 

"Take him to the dungeons. He can stay there for a while."

"Matters still are to be discussed with the king on what his execution date shall be, my prince."

"Make it ten days, or never, preferably."

"Never? The first option is the legal one. Alright..." The second guard coughed, clearing his throat, and he shouted out,

"George Davidson, who has committed a grave sin, shall be executed in ten days beginning now!"

Now, he was thrashing. Not with panic, but he wanted to lash out at the prince. Dream watched the disgust in George's eyes burn into his own, he almost shuddered. 

"If a Prince can't save his innocents, he will never save a kingdom as a King!"

That was the last thing Dream heard after George was pulled away. Quiet murmurs were heard throughout the crowd before Sapnap called for everyone to scatter. 

The two friends decided to walk back to the castle, talking amongst themselves, though Dream felt odd. 

He had never been talked to like that. He had always been treated with such high status - except by Sapnap, who often teased him - so the sheer attitude of George engraved itself into his mind.

He liked it, in a way. It was new, he felt challenged by someone who was powerless. 

The question lingered in his mind, was George truly innocent?

And then, the last line followed up in his brain. 

_"If a Prince can't save his innocents, he will never save a kingdom as a King!"_

It held so much linguistic power, Dream knew one thing. 

He needed to see George again. He needed to stop the execution. 

Of course, there was no way he could just waltz down into the dungeons, especially as a Prince, so he concluded he'd wear a disguise. 

Tomorrow morning he was to find George, talk to him, and then discuss matters with his father. If all else failed, he'd break him out himself. 


	2. Second Dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I should be doing my spanish homework lmao

_**deux** _

* * *

It was so unbearably cold in the deep undergrounds of the castle, but George's blood boiling was enough to keep himself warm. Well, at least, there was an attempt to do so. 

After his encounterment with the Prince, he couldn't compose himself. His anger was prevalent, he was fuming. How could someone be so selfish? He wouldn't want to know the answer. Who knows what the Royals got up to; as far as he knew, they were probably exploiting the lower class for the few pennies they held onto.

From a young age, George knew the monarchy was an idiotic system. He still respected people of higher status, of course he did, however they were still human. He'd treat them no different. So when a human like the Prince had the sheer audacity to even assume George was guilty of an act of indecency was almost embarassing. He was taught to never respect them more than they were deserving of. That it'd inflate their egos so big they'd become hot-air balloons and soar off into the sky. He couldn't help but chuckle, it was a metaphor his mother used quite often when he was younger.

The weirdest thing about this whole situation was that George wasn't even aware his mother had been killed until after people started blaming him. How he had supposedly poisoned her for being too good to be true. No, it was stupid - he would never. He knew himself he was innocent in all of this, and yet he's being made to die at the hands of the kingdom he moved into to get a better life. Ironic, truly.

George's stomach sobbed out in hunger, yearning for the nutrition but did not receive it. The only food George had was a small rip of bread, it looked pathetic in his skinny hands. He'd wanted to save it for later, but if he didn't want to get beaten up by the guards for a loud stomach he'd probably have to eat it there and then.

The rough chains clinking against eachother made quite the disruption, though no guard was down there to pay attention to it. You see, the guards left the prisoners unattended quite a bit; it wasn't smart, but when a prisoner's neck is chained to the wall with a large claw, handcuffs suffocating their wrists and being shut away behind bars, there really was no threat to come.

George wanted to cave in on himself. He had no idea what time it was, he just knew he was exhausted but couldn't sleep from the uncomfortable position he stood in. Yeah, he could sit down, but the freezing ground wasn't much better, and he'd have little room to move about because of how small the neck chain is. One wrong step and he had a coughing fit, it was scary.

The clinking of the chains continued, before George stood still. Footsteps were heard, softly pattering down the steps ahead of the hallway in front of him, though he couldn't observe who it was. He braced his thoughts as though it was just a guard checking on him - he was viewed as dangerous, after all.

It was so unbelievably ironic to George. He who had arms of sticks, legs of twigs and a torso of a withered trunk, sinking into itself in a pathetic attempt to breathe once more was seen as dangerous. He was far too frail to be strong, hell, even picking up a bag of coins required some effort on his behalf. Dangerous was out of the dictionary. The name 'George' could've been an antonym for dangerous, if you looked hard enough.

In the dark gloomy hallway with small fog gathered around, the air George breathed being crystallised into soft pants of smoke, and the sound of the patter left the gothic aura of a haunted mansion. Though, this was no haunted mansion, to George's utter dismay.

When the footsteps were just outside his cell, he caught glimpse of a cloak and a mask that glistened in the candlelight the figure gripped onto with all his might. The candle illuminated his features, he wore a white mask of fine material, possibly porcelain, and an emerald green cloak with trimmings of gold and rubies sewn into the hem, revealing themselves to be extravagant-looking buttons. Too flashy for George, he grimaced in distaste.

When the masked man looked his way, George heard the cheerful "ah-ha!" the figure whispered before walking up to the cell, the smile on his mask was intimidating, definitely not a friendly first impression.

"There you are. I was beginning to think you'd already been executed without my knowledge," the masked man began to speak, "a change of heart would be rather embarassing to recieve after a good samaritan's death, no?" He chuckled to himself, George knew that accent. He was just too tired to pinpoint from whereabouts.

"Do you need something?" George whispered out, voice low and coaxed into that of a confused tone. He wasn't intimidated anymore, moreso lost. Perhaps a guard had gone loopy, drunk, or just wanted someone to talk to. Maybe this was also a criminal, trying to help him to escape.

"Not from you, no. I require none of your service, though you'd probably not give it anyways considering your... Ah, that doesn't apply to this. I need something from the king that revolves around you."

"Elaborate," George hissed out, "I am not a well educated man." Honesty is the best policy. He may had been well spoken but well educated was out of the question, no shame in denying he couldn't quite afford the luxuries of schooling.

"You see here," The figure pulled off the mask with his free hand, revealing himself to be none other than Prince Dream. His dusty freckles and his light green eyes complemented the cloak well, George noted, and the thin lips on his face were curled into a courteous grin,

"Prince Dream." George said, his lower lip pursing out in a grimace at the sight of the wealthy man. Dream merely ignored his disgust, rather taking it in his stride. 

"I took your words into account, your literacy is intriguing. Has anyone ever informed you of that? No? Oh well. For the time you spend down here, I shall spend it trying to get you out of here. In other words, I, the prince, would like to assist you in escaping."

George scowled, "To allow me to escape is one thing, where would I go? I am not the geographical man, I do not know my way around. And, " He unballed his fists that had been rightly gripped around the steel bars that separated him from the wreckless Prince, "Why should I trust you? Are you not the very man who placed me here in the first place. Perhaps you're using me as a pawn for some game, creating false hope. Well I'll be damned if I don't tell you now."

George paused. His posture indecent. 

"I won't fall for you, nor your antics." He had twisted his bony fingers into that of a pointing position, clearly an uncomfortable position at that.

"Silly George, do you want to live a life?"

"A stupid question. Of course I do."

"Then why must you be so adamant on denying my assistance. Surely I, a prince, could bring you all the sanctuary you'd require if you just let me help you, no?"

"Why me?"

"What can I say? You intrigue me, George. You wanna know something?" Dream slyly smirked, his cheekbones raising ever so slightly and his freckles were prominent in the candlelight glow, "When you cussed out at me, something just clicked. A guilty man would face death with acceptance, but you fought it. Metaphorically, you're much stronger than a physical attribute."

George's mouth slowly closed, he looked at the wall to his left as though to pretend Dream was a mere hologram and that he was not truly there. His eyes closed, and he sighed, 

"I'm so hungry." George started to speak with slight hesitance wavering in his quiet voice, "and so, so tired."

"I brought bread." Dream said casually, lifting up his cloak to the side and pulling a small loaf wrapped in divine cloth, handing it to George through the bars. George didn't grab it, he was scared, like a newly adopted pet.

"How must I be aware that you haven't poisoned it? Or even cursed it?"

Dream shrugged, "I'll take a small bite if you wish, just means less for you overall."

George, in a spec of the whim, swiped the bread hastily from Dream's grasp. Their hands touched for a moment, Dream felt the hollow cold of the other's hands graze against his skin. He shuddered. 

Unfolding the cloth with some clear discomfort, George handed the cloth back to Dream and then took a small bite out of the bread, before humming in satisfaction and continuing to wolf down the rest like some sort of beast. 

Dream observed with pride brimming off of him. He had gained some of George's trust, it was a good start. It had taken him about thrice the hours to convince Sapnap to give him the keys to the dungeon below the castle, and even when the Knight did he did so with such hesitance that Dream almost told him to wisen up. Sapnap was clearly unsure of the whole ordeal, but after witnessing his close friend's egotistical behaviours when describing how he would get George's trust, Sapnap couldn't help but laugh with him before ushering him to the dungeon.

Dream had advised Sapnap to keep out of the majority of the plan, for Sapnap would be exiled if caught. Dream, on the other hand, would most likely just not be crowned King if he were caught. He didn't mind, if his little sister got the crown jewels he'd be more than happy to support her reign. The kingdom needed a new queen, they hadn't been lead by one in many years, and Dream would possibly find it to be a tear-jerker if his sister was someone to change history in a positive manner.

Dream waited for George to finish eating his bread, now, he just had to talk to the king. 

"George," Dream spoke up once more after their few minutes of silence, the only noise being the chains moving as George took new bites out of the freshly baked bread. "I must take my leave, for it's growing to be dawn, and I cannot be seen down here. Especially not with someone seen as a criminal."

George nodded, "Take your leave." is all he spoke.

Dream placed the mask back over his face, pulling his cloak's hood back up and over his head. He turned to George, nodded in respect, and began to walk off.

"See you soon, Georgie!"

"Prince Dream- wait." George called out in a half-whisper, Dream stopping in his tracks. He slowly twisted around.

"Mhm?"

"I - thank you. For this." George said with embarassment brimming off his stature, cheeks dusted peach. "Especially the bread. It was really nice. And uhm... Yeah. Thank you."

Dream flashed him a quick thumbs up, laughing softly,

"I won't let you down - a prince never leaves an innocent man to die, take my words in your stride!"

And just like that, George was left alone. The sudden loneliness almost suffocating him immediately. 

* * *

Mornings were always Dream's least favourite time of the day, for it was constant chattering of castle servants and the knocking of his door. It drove him insane sometimes, with servants and guards checking to see if he had slept well, if he was dressed, what he wanted for breakfast, what he wished to do for the day, and most importantly who requested of him.

The only servant he really minded was probably his personal one, Tommy. Tommy was a young kid, only sixteen, but had been handed the job as the prince's personal servant only because Dream had wanted him to get money to fund for his already poor family. I mean, four brothers and only one father sounded stressful enough, especially being lower class. Tommy would talk about how only one of his brothers, Wilbur, was related to him. His eldest brother, Techno, was adopted after being kicked out of his home for a curse; turning him into that of a half-boar. His final brother, only a few months older than him, was someone they had found on the side of the road. Probably from a mother who couldn't fund for her son. He was found in a box with the label 'tubbox' plastered on the side, some sort of company he supposed. They named him Tubbo.

Tommy's hardships in his life weren't noticeable at first glance. The kid was always causing trouble with Tubbo. The two were a dynamic duo in the castle (Tubbo had become a knight in training, just like Techno was already a knight). However, when you looked closer, you could see the sunken-in eyes and the bags hanging from them. He was always exhausted, Dream felt sorry for him.

You never really realise how easy you have it in life until your entire life is spent trying to help others who don't have it as good. 

Privilege... 

When Tommy was finally out of his own quarters in the castle, and settled in Dream's luxurious bedroom, he couldn't help but nosy around, much to the distaste of Dream. He didn't protest though, for he knew Tommy meant no harm or indecency.

When Tommy was finished inspecting, he straightened himself to seem more formal. For a six foot three man, his posture wasn't very polite. Dream almost snorted at the efforts,

"Tommy, I don't think I require any of your help today. I have to talk to my father."

"You do, big man?" Tommy questioned, before grinning mischievously, "What? You finally found a girlfriend you want to wed?"

"No." Dream said sternly. "It's private matters."

"Oh, come on Dream, I wont tell anyone what it is. Promise. Just give me a crumb of information!"

"Alright." Dream smiled slightly, admiring himself in his mirror. He put on some spray before twisting to see how his jawline looked. "Some innocent dude's been locked up in the dungeons. I feel bad, so im up to compromise with my father."

"Is he your boyfriend?"

Dream's mirror admiration shattered in a second, and he sent a side glare to Tommy.

"No. He's not."

"Alright! Aright! Whatever you say, big man."

Dream sighed, it really was going to be a long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments r super appreciated!!


	3. Third Afternoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank u all for the compliments in regards to my writing style; it genuinely means alot. Taking english literature gcse really helps!!!

_**trois** _

* * *

Sapnap lived a rather haenously busy lifestyle; being the Royal Prince's sworn protector, and all that jazz. He had a tight schedule, but if it was for the sake of his best friend's protection then he'd be more than willing to oblige.

At that current time, he had been sent down into the dungeon to keep a close eye on the prisoners. He didn't really mind all that much, it wasn't a preposterous request for him to accept, so he willingly did it.

That is, until he remembered the existence of George. 

The boy was clearly peculiar to Dream, Sapnap had observed that closely. He saw how Dream's eyes squinted as he thought about the brunette, how his lips curled into a gentle grin and especially how his nose scrunched up, the creases making a love heart in their folds. Sapnap knew his best friend was falling for the prisoner, and although it was a disasterous situation to be in, he didn't have the self respect to openly talk down on the Prince's infatuation.

George was handsome, Sapnap would give him that, but he was a criminal. A convicted criminal - perhaps not guilty, but convicted nonetheless. Sapnap felt bad for how the other guards pushed prisoners around, but they were good for nothing. George's situation just happened to be like that. As long as he was a convicted criminal, he was good for nothing.

Sapnap whistled loudly as he strolled down the long, spiral, stone staircase unveiling the roots of deep underground the castle. It was always cold, there was damp and moss growing within the dirty cracks of the rocks. A couple bugs here and there, nothing Sapnap couldn't stomp on roughly to finish off in a second.

Upon reaching the bottom, he looked ahead of him. The hallway was always dark and gloomy, the air always a hypothermic temperature which caused extreme discomfort at all times. He'd imagine what it was like to live down here, how miserable it would truly be. 

Dream was talking with his father at the same time as Sapnap was patrolling. How Sapnap hoped his friend kept himself out of trouble... But the prince had always been a headcase. There was no controlling what couldn't be overpowered. 

Sapnap hadn't realised he'd been walking so long until his ears heard the soft shuffling of metal, and feet shifting uncomfortably in their place. He followed the noise, finding the cage and peeping through the bars. 

George stood there, exhausted. His eyes were red on the outsides, his nose was runny and his hands were almost purple from the cold around them. It was an unsettling sight for those of the faint of heart. His breathing was shallow, and when his head lifted up to take a look at Sapnap, the guard saw the sheer misery and sadness that floated in his gaze. 

"Hello." George croaked out, coughing slightly. It was obvious he hadn't slept, nor eaten very much, nor drank water.

Sapnap straightened his posture, giving a polite nod of his head, "Good afternoon. I believe your name is George, yeah?"

"Thought it was obvious, it's not as though im the talk of the town apparently." The prisoner spoke sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

Sapnap merely chuckled in awkward suspence, the conversation dimming into that but an uncomfortable silence to which the two boys were unsure when to break. Sapnap looked around, pretending to distract himself, before he finally coughed to break the silence. 

"Listen, George - I'm very aware of Dream's plans. There's no need to go all quiet on me. We can converse as though we are friends if you wish, it may put your distress at ease if it helps. You know, uhm, I'm not sure if you really are innocent or not but... If Dream's adamant on pursuing with you leaving here alive and well, then I have no choice but to follow in his steps." Sapnap explained, quietly shuffling over to the keyhole that kept the bars in place and unlocked it from the outside.

He stepped inside, observing the sudden fear that sparked in George's eyes, and opened the satchel that sat to the side of his belt, pulling out a small bottle of a vibrant red potion. It was so bright, there was small hints of sparkles dancing in the liquid, and the smell was whimsical.

Sapnap looked out into the hallway to ensure they were left alone, before popping the cork off the potion. He turned to George, a cocky grin plastered on his face, and spoke. 

"I pinched a little something from the local brewery just a few days ago. Before your arrest, of course. I hadn't had much use for it, but now, upon seeing the condition you're currently wasting away in, I feel obliged to give you a drink at every opportunity."

Sapnap swirled the liquid around in the glass bottle, holding it closer to George so he could see it without needing to squint from exhaustion. George looked back at Sapnap, his mouth opening, before closing again; isolated for the right words to speak.

Sapnap chuckled, "Dude, it's just a health potion. Drink one of these and you'll feel great in seconds, it'll restore your energy. Promise. Now drink it."

He handed the potion to George, who held onto it firmly. He held it up to his face like Sapnap had done prior, then sniffed it. Sapnap watched his face scrunch up from the fumes. George then took a small sip, before drinking an entire gulp of the potion, his eyes lighting up in ecstasy.

George handed the three-quarter full bottle back to Sapnap and cheered out,

"That was- that was so nice of you to do-!" He breathed out, Sapnap merely placed a hand on his shoulder in a friendly gesture.

"What can I say? An innocent man is deserving of it."

"Sir I-"

"Call me Sapnap. Carry on."

"Sapnap, I've never had a potion before. I've always been too poor to buy them. I recognised the brewery - I believe Wilbur works in there? Do you, uh, know Wilbur by any chance?"

"I do." Sapnap nodded slowly.

"Cool! Wilbur was one of the first to greet me upon my arrival to the kingdom. He knew my mother when she was his old mentor, and was intrigued to meet her son, I suppose. He's always been quite nice, and I suppose brewing potions is a plus."

Sapnap observed, slightly zoning out in close thought. Wilbur had been known as a sly man, his mannerisms being polite yet intimidating at the same time. He was always talking about his brothers, always praising them. Though he was polite and commonly a confident-ridden man, something always set Sapnap off in the way he presented himself. There was no way that man was sane. It may have been bad manners to assume such a preposterous thing, but he did not care.

He couldn't say anything negative about Wilbur aloud though, for the man's little brother was Prince Dream's personal servant and his older brother was the head Knight. Speaking negatively was a death sentence, maybe literally, maybe metaphorically. 

"So you're on good terms with him, I guess?" Sapnap questioned, to which George nodded.

"I think we are."

There was another silence, then footsteps were heard stomping down the hall. Sapnap panicked, rushing to get out of the cell and lock it, shoving the potion in his satchel just barely in time to see who had unveiled themselves from the shadows. 

A half-boar, half-human. His hair was pink and he had pig ears. His face was humane, if you didn't notice the two huge teeth that poked out, like some sort of predator. He had scars littering his face, and he wore armor of the strongest kind.

Techno. 

Sapnap composed himself, being in the company of the other was risky business. He was extremely calculating, one wrong move and the other could have him on the verge of decapitation.

"Sapnap." Techno said, his tone stern and serious, suspenseful. "The king requires of your company, go to him now." Is all he said, staring directly at George, who had been staring at the ground solemnly. He tutted, before looking at Sapnap once more. "I'll watch the inmate."

"Alright...alright." Sapnap mumbled, slowly backing away, around Techno, and beginning to walk down the hallway with a slight haste.

"And Sapnap." The boar called out, Sapnap stopping in his step and slowly turning to make eye contact.

"Be more discrete when trying to be friendly with the inmates. I won't tell of this encounterment, though I am not one to approve of such degenerative actions. Now shoo." With a flap of Techno's hand, slightly sassy, Sapnap scurried off.

* * *

Dream was being scolded.

"Why you little- My own son wants a criminal to be set free? In regards to his own irrational judgement of this man? What must you expect from a disgraceful act of indecency to our beloved public. The man's a murderer! My boy, you have yet to learn..."

Dream had tuned out most of the yelling directed towards him, rocking himself back on his heels and toes. The king was so angry, he requested Sapnap to get information out of him. Thankfully, Dream was more than knowing of Sapnap's loyalty to him. Not the king. Just him.

He had requested of the freedom of George, then remembered he had no evidence except his own confidence. It was a huge mistake on his part, he should've planned what to say in advance. Not all humans are perfect, though. 

He had figured out, however, that the main reason they locked George away was because he had special ties to his mother's business. Unbeknownst to George himself, too. It was a dangerous ordeal, but Dream knew not of what the business was until his father explained it to him in gritted teeth. 

George's mother was a teacher by day, and an immorality by night. She was known as a raging anarchist, she despised anything to do with the monarchy. She was a dangerous being, but presented herself as a polite, femenine woman.

Then that raised the question; if she truly were so dangerous, and Georde did actually end her life, why was he being punished for it? He clearly shared similar beliefs, especially when the man scolded Dream during their first encounterment in the town.

It didn't make any sense. Why would George commit a crime against someone he agreed with, and vice versa, why would he be punished for disposing of an anarchist?

Something wasn't right. There was much more to George's captivity than his father let both he and the public eye know. 

Dream deduced it was a planned attack, but no evidence yet supported it. 

His evaluating cut off when the large doors to the throne room steadily opened with a loud creak, then a bang as they shut tight. Sapnap walked up the long luxuriously red carpet that lead to the steps leading up to the throne, bowed to the king, then to the prince, and stood upright. 

"You requested of me, Your Majesty." Sapnap said smoothly, his face devoid of all emotion. His hands sat behind his back, protruding that of a sign of utmost admiration and respect to the monarch standing ahead of him.

"Do you know of my son's vile mindset to free a murderer?"

"Who would this murderer be?" Sapnap asked, avoiding the question tossed at him.

"George. George Davidson. Now, are you aware of the words he speaks about this George?"

"I am not, My Lord. If Prince Dream had ever expressed any signs of injustice towards the law I would be quick to alert you, and even quicker to prevent him from doing anything out of line. It is my duty, after all." Sapnap explained, his voice didn't stammer once and Dream was almost impressed, but he kept his gaze to the floor.

The king hummed, nodding, "And you are honest?"

"Indeed, Your Majesty." Sapnap bowed once more, on a single knee and propping himself up with the other. He placed a hand firmly over his heart and bowed his head alongside it.

A long silence flooded the room, deafening to both Dream and Sapnap alike. Sapnap shot Dream a confident side glance, as though to say 'I have this covered'.

The king looked at Dream once again, his gaze enraged but he chose to compose his figure as a sign of politeness. 

"I do not want you to speak of this event again to me, do you hear?"

"I do, father - indeed... I do."

* * *

"So, George, what do you recall of your mother?"

"My mother?" George asked softly, Dream nodded with a slight grin.

It was the middle of the night, Dream had come back down to visit George, this time giving him a small cake wrapped up in the same cloth as the day before. He also brought water, and George couldn't help but joke about how it was essentially a feast for him. It was an amusing statement, but deep down Dream knew the undertoning truth. The sad reality of a poor man. 

"My mother... Well... She was lovely, first of all. Always singing, dancing, happy. Uhm... She loved to teach children - she took in the brewer, Wilbur Soot, and mentored him. She would always tell me stories when I felt ill, or cook meals that required a months worth of wages when it was my birthday, she'd kiss me on the cheek and always remind me of how handsome I looked. In short, she was amazing, truly. She expressed a lot of discomfort towards royalty, but I did so too, so we were even. I'd never even dream of laying a hand on her with malicious intent, I grimace at the thought!"

Dream noticed how, as they talked more, their conversations got less formal. They didn't need to act polite or anything, they were just... Friends. Dream hoped so, anyways. 

"What about your father?"

George paused, trying to comprehend the question asked towards him. He smiled awkwardly, 

"Dead. He was executed in my previous kingdom for being exposed as an anarchist. My mother and I had to leave before things got violent. And now... She's gone too. Holy shit, Dream, I haven't been able to process any of it. So much has occurred in such small time I... " George sniffled, looking away, "I miss her. I miss her so much, Dream."

Dream pushed his hand through the steel bars, taking a firm grasp onto one of George's hands to reassure him. 

"I know, I know you do. When you're out of here, you can process it with a clear head," Dream squeezed his hand tightly, "For now, we must focus on the task at hand."

"Yeah... We should..." George murmured, slowly closing his fingers around Dream's hand and closing his eyes in content. Small droplets of melancholic tears slipped from his cheeks, a few landing on top of Dream's hand. They were cold tears, but Dream's hands were warm. It gave George comfort knowing the prince had so much faith in him.

"You know, I miss my mother too." Dream smiled sadly, pulling his hand away from George's hand as he slowly made his way up to the other's cheek, wiping away any tears that sat. He rested his hand there, on George's tear-strained cheeks, and sighed.

"She was a wonderful leader, keeping my father at bay from anger. She was a sign of peace, her favourite plant was lavender. She named me Dream because I was a dream come true - I was her key to happiness. Every time I was with her she was overjoyed, kissing my young cheeks and ruffling my hair. She had introduced me to Sapnap when we were both around fourteen, twelve. And then... She just disappeared one day. Her body was found in a river, and nobody has figured out what happened to her. She was a perfect role model, gone too soon."

Dream and George were close now. George's neck chain refused to let him extremely close, but he did his best to work with what he could. 

"One orphan and one Prince, a weird duo." George joked silently, Dream chuckled.

"Personally, I quite like the sound of a duo like that." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments r kinda pog... U know... :]  
> I didnt proofread this btw so if it sucks uh oh


	4. Fourth Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> dream has a sexuality crisis, and george has a physical crisis; all whilst dream also goes to visit wilbur, and sapnap's just... standing by.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tws for blood and violence

_**quatre** _

* * *

Dream had woken up fairly early that morning, for he had a busy day ahead of him. Not necessarily a normal prince's tight schedule, rather, he had someone he needed to discuss matters with. Wilbur Soot. Upon learning the relevance in George's life being that of Wilbur Soot's existence, he chose to try and pry quite a few words out of the brewer. It wouldn't be that difficult, no? After all, Dream could use more extreme tactics if the man refused to speak of his knowledge.

In which Dream's prying for information from the inmate he seemed to like a little more than naturally and the king's long rant, he had learned quite a few things;

  1. George's mother was an anarchist, she worked daily nightly to try and plan an attack on the monarchy to George's ignorance.
  2. She had mentored Wilbur Soot for a while; unsure as to why, Dream was, but that made him quite suspicious.
  3. She had been poisoned at her house whilst George was at the market, and word - somehow - had immediately travelled. That was suspicious in itself. Something wasn't right.
  4. Wilbur Soot worked at the only brewery in town, and she was poisoned, so someone must've either got it from there or Wilbur did it himself.
  5. The king knew of her anarchistic mannerisms. He had something to do with it. His own father...



He was, quite openly, apprehensive about the situation he held within his close grasp. At least he knew for certain that George was innocent now; there was no evidence that went against him other than it was his mother who was the victim.

Dream, in all honesty, felt like a detective. His intellect wasn't naturally this closely paid attention to; with ADHD it made it more difficult to focus on one thing at once. 

So why did George all of a sudden cause him to want to focus?

To be fair, George was handsome. With his mesmerizingly brown eyes, awkward beam of a grin, thin cheeks that outlined his jawline perfectly, the small freckles on his nose that you'd almost miss if he were just a tad bit paler than his actual skin tone, and most of all his dishevelled brown hair. It had overgrown slightly, so with every movement the boy made it followed suit, flopping in front of his eyes and resulting in him having to twitch his head to knock it aside.

All those things Dream paid attention to, he couldn't easily forget perfection when he saw it.

He was said to live the perfect life, but he often forgot he was royalty. He often forgot how he was to become king when his father perished. He often forgot how he was to begin fighting in wars, battles, all to protect his people.

_To protect his people._

It was ironic at best, for George was one of his people; he couldn't protect him. That's why he forgot how his life was perfection - the irony of the statement was what made it imperfect. Something made his life incomplete, and so he forgot his status.

George, possibly, might make his life complete. He saw something in the inmate - his hesitance, his sass, his attitude towards those who were human but of higher status. He treated Dream like a friend - well, he was beginning to treat Dream as such.

And that's why Dream was so, so afraid. He dreaded the next six days to follow, how they'll play out. It was a 50/50 chance he proved George's innocence, or watched him die at the burning stake for being convicted. Convicted of something he didn't do. Dream's dread was uncanny, in which he couldn't bare the thought of one of the few people to treat him as an equal to die.

Dream had a divine pride that brimmed off of him everywhere he ventured, but this time, pride was considered narcissism. But he wouldn't let the public eye be aware of his imperfections; for it would crush their internal hopes of living that divine way too.

Everybody wants to rule the world, he supposed.

Dream came to the dreaded realisation that he cared for George more than his own safety - like a mother cares about her son, but different. This time, it wasn't a motherly love, it was something more. A raging storm, lighting striking once the inmate talks, leaving Dream frozen in awe. The way George's attitude towards the world was dull, how he claimed to want a life but still seemed so hesitant to live one. He was so, so perfect in every way, shape, and form.

The prince was in love. And yet... He had just met the boy. It was foolish of him to think he could love a random boy - an anarchist, too! It wouldn't work out. It never would.

But that wouldn't stop Dream from being prideful in his attempts.

A knock on the bedroom door startled him with a mighty leap, and he rushed over to open it with a loud creak. Tommy stood there, a cocky grin plastered across his young face,

"Hi, Big Man! How's the day so far? You still have that boyfriend of yours?" Tommy questioned, strolling into the bedroom as though he owned the place. Dream didn't protest, he'd let the kid have his innocence.

"Day's been quite slow, for sure, and no. I don't have a boyfriend, Tommy, you're just trying to tease me..." He sighed softly, how he wished he had a boyfriend - specifically one named George, "... How's your family been, by the way?" Dream looked up, a soft smile showing.

Tommy shrugged, "To be fair, I'm not really sure what the hell's happening. Techno's been as boring as ever - Seriously! The man never relaxes his shoulders, no idea how he lives life being both a bore AND a literal boar! Then there's Tubbo, Tubbo's still as cool as ever. Did you know he's going into politics now? I think that's pretty cool - he says he wants to become one of the King's advisors someday. Probably when you're King, too. And then... Wilbur." Tommy paused, as though he saved the worst until last.

Dream ushered him on, "What about Wilbur?"

"To be honest, Big Man, Wilbur is a fuckin' maniac! No idea how he does it, too. Swear he's bipolar or some shit, I don't know. One minute he's congratulating me on getting job as the prince's personal servant and the next he's ridiculing me on how I'll never get anywhere in life! Can you believe him? I swear that guy's planning to murder someone or some shit, he's getting ridiculous." Tommy ranted on, his facial expressions scrunched up as though he were displeased.

Dream didn't blame him, in fact, Tommy reminded Dream of himself somewhat. They both had pride, too much of it, and it resulted in them being ridiculed.

"You see, that's quite the predicament. You know... I had actually planned to visit Wilbur today."

"Why so?" Tommy's facial expression relaxed into that of a curiosity.

"Personal business, Tommy, you're too young to know."

Tommy paused, Dream almost saw the steam blowing out of his ears before he started to rage, "What the hell, Big Man! It's always me being too young - You know I'm 16, right? I'm not some fuckin' kid anymore! I can involve myself however as much as I like, I won't tell a soul if you just be honest to me. Me?! Me?! Me too young?! You best be glad you're a goddamn prince or else I'd-"

Dream waved him off. "You're all bark and no bite. Now shoo, shoo! I'll request you again when I've returned to the castle. For now, can you get Sapnap for me?"

"You're going to my brother's brewery with Sapnap and not me?" Tommy huffed, sluggishly making his way towards the bedroom door, "Fine, Big Man, but I'm only doing this because I get paid."

"You're only here because you're getting paid, Tommy," Dream teased, "If any other servant yelled at me like that I'd have them beheaded!"

That was clearly an exaggeration, Dream was too relaxed to execute anyone for their attitudes, especially when it was so rare to come across someone with an attitude that wasn't so formal.

Tommy stomped off, leaving Dream to dwell on his sexuality crisis, just like jackbox. 

(that was a joke.)

* * *

George had expected Sapnap to come down to visit him that morning, after Dream had departed. He was still slightly messy and rather overwhelmed from his breakdown the night prior, but he had managed to fall asleep in Dream's company. At least he knew the prince was willing to stay with him until he got the rest he desperately needed. 

When he woke up, he had been alone for a short while. That is, until, the footsteps were once again heard coming down the hallway. But this time, it was more than one set of footsteps. Judging by the amount of steps, George estimated two or three guards were marching their way down the hallway, and over to George's cell. He braced himself, it had been a while since more than one guard noticed his existence, he had just hoped it was for a good reason and not anymore bad ones - oh, how he was sick of continuous bad luck.

Two guards came to a stop in front of his cell, ones George hadn't recognised before. They quickly unlocked the cell door with aggravated murmurs and then freed george of his neck chain - sparing the handcuffs. They roughly yanked onto George by both his hair and his arms,

"You're coming with us." One of them spat angrily at George, he kept his head low to the ground in utter alarm as he was dragged out of the cell.

"Where am I going?" George quietly asked, it was soon followed with a "Shut the hell up!" and a "Who are you to speak?"

George felt powerless. The air was thick with tension as his aching body was dragged through the hall, yanked up the steps, and tossed into a side room where he was quickly chained to a wooden chair. One of the guards stood behind him, pulling out his iron sword and holding it to George's neck, threatening that if he looked down he would meet his demise. George felt fear, but he complied.

The other guard locked the door to the room shut, and took a seat on the chair opposite George, a large scowl formed on his face. 

"What the fuck have you been spewing to the Prince to convince him to try and free you?"

George's breath hitched, did they find out?

"What...? Huh?"

A hand slammed down onto the wooden table separating them with a huge thump, the guard standing up and leaning over; his eyes peered into George's soul menacingly.

"You fucking heard me! Don't act stupid, you goddamn menace. The prince went to his majesty yesterday and tried to compromise with him to let you free. We aren't fucking dimwits here - we know what you've been up to, George Davidson!"

Oh, so they didn't find out, George noted internally. The king was just not pleased with the prince's attempts, so he'd take it out on George.

"I- I'm rather unsure of what you're talking about-" He stammered out, his body visibly shaking, "You see- the prince he- the prince is the reason I'm locked away in the first place! It would make no sense for me to try and convince him to enable my freedom - you know, I haven't seen him since. Honest!"

"That's it-" Both guards stood up, throwing George's chair onto the ground and violently swinging at any area they could possibly reach.

Some blood spilled out, and George felt heavy. His mind blurred, he did his best to cover up what was happening to him in reality but to no avail. He coughed and he sobbed, but it wouldn't stop. The pain was unbearable; bruises being left at his sides and his legs, and even a long cut being dragged along his cheek from the edge of the iron sword - it had rusted slightly, so it was more painful than an ordinary cut. George had tuned out the vexed screams above him, but he did manage to pick up on words such as "Dirty," and "Repulsive".

They kicked, and kicked, and kicked. George even felt some of the wood against his back begin to splinter him, and the chains burning against his frail hands. He couldn't even move for self defence, rather, all he could do was endure the abhorrent amount of pain he was forced to withstand. 

Then, the door swung open after someone had unlocked it from outside the dreadfully torturous room.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" The voice rang out in pure vile rage.

But it wasn't Sapnap's voice, nor Dream's. Rather, it had been the guard who took over preserving him from Sapnap - Techno.

The two guards froze on the spot, George remaining on the ground as he was too weak to push his body strength upwards. He heard Techno's feet stomp on over to the petrified guards, his breath heavy and infuriated.

"What gives you two the damn right to treat someone like this? Just because he's a goddamn criminal doesn't mean he's also your punching bag." Techno explained, unchaining George from the chair and pulling him up, lifting him over his shoulder. "I said to interrogate him for what he knew - the King said to preserve him for now, spare him, he might be unwilling to open up. Beating him brutally is the opposite."

Techno turned back to the door, holding George firmly over his shoulder. George's arms dangled, his head too weak to lift itself up, so he just sat there silently; his soft sobs of pain and groans following suit.

Techno glanced back once more, and with a distasteful grunt, he muttered, "Hand in your armor and weapons. You're both fired for not following proper instructions."

"But Sir-"

"Do it. Now."

Not another word was spoken, and Techno walked all the way down the steps and the hallway and back to George's cage. He dropped him back down onto the ground but didn't tie his neck back, rather, let him lay on the ground. Techno, with a small sigh of stress, handed him a small bit of bread and a flask of water to drink from. Techno then leaned down to George's level, frowning.

"And to think I treated orphans badly..." He snorted sarcastically, "Drink and eat. These next few days will be long, and you're lucky to still be breathing oxygen right now. I'm not on your side, George, but I'm not open to have the people I'm looking over be kicked to death by two unexperienced guards - it would be a pretty dumb death."

Techno went silent, and George attempted to sit up. He tried to speak, but couldn't find the energy, so instead he flashed a grateful smile and Techno nodded.

"One of our best knights - Sapnap is out right now, accompanying the Prince. When he has returned this afternoon we will send him down here to patch you up."

And with that, Techno walked off, leaving George bloody and bruised. But hey, at least he had water and food, right?

* * *

The sun was out, it was another beautiful day in the Town Square, and this time there was no dramatic commotion taking place. Rather, many commoners showering their many praises towards Dream as he walked along; accompanied by Sapnap yet again.

They hadn't walked too far when they spotted the magnificent brewery from a small distance away. It was fairly empty, since potions were normally quite expensive; and you needed a liscence for the harmful ones.

Dream and Sapnap stepped inside the brewery. There was plenty of potions stacked along shelves, protected by glass. Bookshelves sat in a row behind the shop counter and there was a large brewing stand sitting at the very back of the shop. 

Wilbur Soot stood at the counter, sipping what looked to be coffee and staring mindlessly out the window until he took notice to the two important figures waltzing on in. He brushed off his dusty clothes and stood upright. He had been wearing dark blue robes with a sunny yellow hat and round glasses on. At first glance, you'd think he was a royal of sorts. 

Sapnap gave Dream a confident nod, then stood back to give the prince some space. 

Remember, act natural, and then bring up the major question. Dream reminded himself. 

Dream made is way over to Wilbur with a composed grin, holding out his hand to shake. The other took his hand and shook it firmly. 

"Hello, Wilbur." Dream started to speak, "How are you?"

"Good evening, my prince-"

"Just call me Dream, no need for formalities."

"Okay... Dream. I've been well! I didn't quite expect you, of all great men, to visit me today. You know, Tommy says lots of great things about you - bar the fact he rants on about how green everything is, but teenagers are like that, no? Oh, I sure to hope Tommy isn't causing any trouble. It's hard work having to trust that he's not trying to cause a ruckus."

Dream simply chuckled, shaking his head with lighthearted ease, "Of course not. Tommy's a good kid, he's helpful at the most."

"Thank the Lord." Wilbur breathed out a sigh that sounded as if he'd been holding his breath for days on end. "How are you, Dream?"

"I'm well. I just thought I'd take the time to visit you today, you see, I've been quite busy these past few days and I've been desperate to relax, wind down, you see?" He chuckled, "And, I wanted to catch up."

"I get that. Catch up with the old town brewer, see what he gets up to in his daily life. To be fair, nothing of importance really occurs to my life in which I could report on it."

"Really?" There was a slight pause, "That's a shame. Any customers these past few days?"

"No - Well, some knights buy the occasional health and strength potion, but other than that nothing of importance..." Wilbur shook his head slowly.

"Oh? No poison potions?" Dream's head tilted innocently, and Wilbur's eyes narrowed.

"Not necessarily, no."

"Are you sure?" Dream frowned, before mumbling just loud enough for Wilbur to hear, "I could've sworn I told them to buy them as a guidance for battle..."

"I mean, Dream, I did use a potion quite a few days ago - a poison one." Wilbur admitted, and Dream thought he hit the jackpot.

"What for, exactly?"

"Nothing of real importance - there was a zombie that had appeared in a nearby street, so I disposed of it. I assumed one of the guards would have let you know, but it seems not." Wilbur shook his head.

Dream's eyes narrowed. Wilbur was lying. 

"Is that so?" Dream questioned, and with a nod of Wilbur's head he stood himself upright and smiled. He had everything he needed to confirm his suspicions. 

"I'm sorry to have to cut our time short like this - a prince runs on a busy schedule! Have a wondrous day, Wilbur Soot." Dream closed off their conversation with a respectful nod and Sapnap opened the door for him to leave.

Wilbur soot was left standing there, bewildered. Before he came to the conclusion Dream was onto him. 

* * *

Midnight strolled by, and this time both Sapnap and Dream had come down to visit George. They were expecting to see George's excited face when they had new information, but when they saw the dreadful condition the boy had been left in, laying on the ground almost lifeless, they rushed over to the cell. Sapnap hastily unlocked the door and Dream went in first. 

George was passed out from exhaustion, and Dream got onto his knees, pulling his head to rest on top of his thighs for some sort of comfort. Both Sapnap and Dream frowned, the inmate looked like a mess, and was clearly left terrified from prior events. 

Dream began to shake George awake, and eventually his meek attempts worked out. George's eyes fluttered open slowly, and he noticed it was Dream immediately. It caused him to smile slightly, sleep overwhelming his stature.

"Hi, Dream... And Sapnap..." George mumbled, as he glanced around.

"What the hell happened?" Sapnap asked, then remembered his potion he had given some of to George. He opened his satchel yet again, pulling out the potion, and uncorked the lid. He got down onto his knees too, and held the potion to George's lips, who happily drank most of it.

"I have no idea, but I assume tonight we should get George patched up and cleaned instead of taking extra time to tell him stuff he probably won't pay any attention to."

"Yeah, let's do that." Sapnap agreed.

Both Dream and Sapnap began to patch the criminal up using ripped fabric and water out of Sapnap's flask. When they had finished, George was already back asleep, and Dream was sitting beside him, admiring his facial features.

Sapnap couldn't help but smile, it was so obvious his best friend was in love. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These chapters r getting longer because i have more plot to write :]


	5. Fifth Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A long process of thought for George as he reminisces on his beliefs, subsequenty resulting in his disdain for Dream's help.  
> He finds a letter, and meets a familiar face who unravels all the information he knows onto the inmate.  
> Dream and George meet up once again at night, but it's not as peaceful as it used to be. Soon, though, it becomes something the two had been needing for quite some time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Its been 8 days since the previous update; that's completely my own fault! I ran into plenty of issues. I had this entire chapter written out but it didnt seem to save (and i was ANGRY)  
> Exam week is finally over, and since i live in NI i officially am finished school for the year, so perhaps updates will be quicker.  
> Also, i am planning to update this book further than just the 10 days - maybe with a new book. You see, i have quite a few major plans that go on further than just an escape :]  
> For now, this chapter is unfortunately not very well written since i had to rewrite most of it from memory (i dont have any plans for this story written out, they literally just pop into my head at random LOL)

_**cinq** _

* * *

George had woken up in agony. 

His body were stiff, as though he were steel. His eyelids fluttered and danced in and out of restlessness and rest, his lips partially swollen from impact the day prior.

Thank the Lord the interrogation was finished, for George would be unlikely to handle another horrible event such as that. He didn't even want to think about it, as though it were haunting him, slowly lurking behind in the shadows. 

To think being hurt was what petrified him the most, rather than his foreshadowing death looming over him - to be ready in five days time. He'd rather they got the execution over and done with than force George to endure another five days of scarce food, dirty water and no place to sleep or rest - his clothes had been getting dirty, but Dream promised to buy him new clothes once they had proved him of his innocence. 

Life in the dungeons had been a slow, boring sequence. To be fair, George only really liked the company of Sapnap and, especially, Dream.

He had barely remembered what had occured the night before, he remembered feeling the soft heat of Dream's legs support his head, and Sapnap prying his mouth open to chug a healing potion perhaps. The rest of it had left him, as though it merely vanished like the queen. 

Okay, maybe that was a bit too dramatic. 

He did feel a little bad though, to cause so much unnecessary trouble to his two friends. They were working themselves to the bone to try and gather proof of his innocence, also whilst being in the hierarchy and attempting to run an entire kingdom at the same time. And yet... George was a mere commoner. He truly had no place for their friendship, but was granted it nonetheless. Maybe in a separate life they had all been friends of equal status, but in this timeline they were hindered by that of the classes of society. 

George had always been poor, for as long as he could remember. His mother would bake some bread for him every week, teach him of her knowledge and then ensure he ran along to make some friends or maybe even find a job in the marketplace. He and Wilbur were around the same age, George having been a year older at best, so it was fairly common for them to hang out. That is, until, Wilbur was granted a place in a private school to be educated on the mastering of the brewing arts - leaving George behind.

He didn't necessarily blame Wilbur though, if he were granted such an amazing opportunity he'd rightfully take it. The downside was that George could barely read, having to double check every word he collected internally to see if he were correct, his handwriting was messy and remembering anything to do with numbers was completely out of the question. 

George was, however, fascinated with history. How the mages used to run rampant around the whole world, bringing life and death as though it were to be considered that of a gift. They would wear robes, cover their faces, and sing hymns to those who worshipped their powers. Human beings were soon to grow tired of their reign, bellowing that they had been tired of the mages' tyranny, and that they would fix what the mages had once ruined. Mages soon became extinct, as they accepted the humans with open arms despite knowing they'd die in the end.

It reminded George of Dream. 

George had talked about his disdain towards the monarchy quite a few times with Dream nearby, and he merely listened - as though he understood. He never retaliated, trying to defend himself and his status, but rather he chose to agree. He still wanted to be friends with George, no matter how many times the man fought against being friends with a royal. How it was against his political beliefs. But Dream had little to care.

It had begun to dwell on George the fact his entire life had been spent going against what the monarchs had sung out, going against their orders like some form of rebellion. Yet, he had befriended the kingdom's prince. It wasn't right, no matter how much he enjoyed it.

No matter how kind Dream was to him, no matter how beautiful Dream was portrayed to be through his eyes, no matter how much he ensured George's freedom;

George would rather die than love a royal.

... But, at the same time, he refused to be executed at the hands of them for an injustice. 

He concluded that he'd take Dream's help, and once he was out he'd flee. What wouldn't be so hard, right?

They were just friends after all, and George has been abandoned by friends before. It shouldn't be so hard to be the one abandoning, no?

It was cruel though. He knew that moreso than anyone else. He knew the feeling of pain that metaphorically welled up in someone's chest as it threatened to burst into a million tears. Plus, Dream had helped him last night to feel better - Dream had been helping him this whole time.

George found himself to be caught in a predicament. 

He'd have to talk to Dream that night, to perhaps resolve some of his internalised denial towards their advancement in relationship; he fully yearned that the prince would not take it the wrong way, though his pride was an obstacle.

He truly did feel rather apologetic for the whole thing, for it wasn't Dream's fault he were a Prince. Rather, he was born to it. 

George stood up from the cold floor he lay on, adjusting the chains around his wrists and looking around his cell. It was as dull as ever, until his eyes lay on a small note scrunched up to the far back, out of sight. 

George made his way over to the letter with such hesitance alike that of a rabbit. Once he were close enough, he swiped out and grabbed the note. When unfolding it, he ensured he didn't make noise that would alarm any guards, though none seemed to be nearby nonetheless. 

He read;

_'Good evening, George._

_It's my deepest apologies in which I couldn't stay very long last night; for you were in clear horrible shape. I did what I could, Sapnap and I managed to patch up your more serious wounds and Sapnap had gotten some ice to cool down any bruising that had coloured your pale skin. As you may have seen, Sapnap made you drink a healing potion - so we should expect you in good shape in a day or two, if the potion does what it's destined to do so._

_For the record, I have deduced that Wilbur Soot - you may be surprised, however, listen to what I must say - may be the perpetrator to which your mother's demise was reached. I went out to speak with him today (or, yesterday by the time you read this) and he admitted to have been using a potion of poison, though did not admit as to why. I assume he is rather suspicious of my questions, but I hope he is unaware of my alliance with you._

_You may choose to deny any of this information, and I am in complete comprehension with that state, however this is the conclusion I have come up to. I will go into more depth by midnight if you wish me to._

_All yours, Dream'_

'All yours' huh? That hit different.

George crumpled the note back up, deciding to set it down in the corner of his cage so no guard could spot it instantaneously. He couldn't help but feel lightheaded, however, as the news of Wilbur Soot being the possible assailant of his mother dawned upon him. His facial expression turned melancholic, he felt sour.

There was no way in hell it were true - surely! It would be a mockery of their friendship, a strange downside to everything that they'd ever experienced together, albeit not much.

To think he truthfully knew of the man Wilbur had become, if he were really the guilty man; what was his true objective? To leave George even lonelier than before? Or to just... Hurt him. George didn't know, nor did he want to know Wilbur's true intentions all that much as a matter of fact.

It was then, at that moment of reminiscence, when a guard walked up to the cage - he seemed to have gone down the steps without George noticing from being too busy lost in thought.

When George looked back ahead of him, he noticed this was no guard; just some tall teenager -

Wilbur's brother. He had met this guy before, only when he was an infant however. He recognised him from the similar facial features; swirly hair swiped back away from his eyes, small lips that curled into a rather mischievous grin, and the slightly narrowed eyes that stared into your very soul. Unfortunately, he couldn't quite place a name to the face. 

"Good morning, Big Man - dunno what to call you yet - how's it going?"

"Who are you?" George asked, a long pause stretched out between the boy's words.

"The name's Tommy. Big T, if you will. I'm a bit of a big deal around here, y'know," Tommy grinned, leaning up against the cell bars, "because I'm the prince's personal servant, and all that. You see, I get so many women because of it, it's such a cool fuckin' job."

George's eyebrow raised in a slightly negative intriguement.

"So, you're Dream's servant... Why are you here, exactly?" George pondered, why was such a young teenager expected to go down into the dungeon - of all extreme places!

"Why am I here? To talk, of course!" Tommy's childish grin widened like that of a cheshire cat, straightening his slightly slumped posture as though he were to present himself in front of a courthouse. He was being strangely eloquent about his actions, in contrast to his accent and his choice of vocabulary.

"To talk." George repeated, unconvinced.

"Well... Not necessarily to talk, moreso;" Tommy paused, glancing around to ensure they had nobody nearby before leaning closer and speaking out in a hushed whisper. "I know of your involvement with the prince. And of your involvement with my brother, Wilbur. Let me tell you now, if you escape you will die. If you stay here, you will die. Once you're freed from this cell, the guards will hunt you down - I know you're innocent, Big Man. The guards don't. You see - earlier - I eavesdropped on Sir Sapnap and Prince Dream discussing about you. I learned that Wilbur is the actual criminal here, and..."

Tommy paused, his straight composure dropping with an unsatisfied sigh, 

"... And the king knows that. You see, the king is a fuckin' madman. My brother, Techno, is an anarchist too. The only reason he's still alive is because he was forced into becoming a Knight or face death. And... And Wilbur would give up his life for the king. He was obsessed. The King learned of his weird ass admiration, and assigned him with the assassination of any anarchist he knew of. That includes your mother, and he framed you. To hopefully rid of an anarchist bloodline- the shit's gross."

"How... How do you know all this?" George spoke carefully, taken aback by such an intense revelation. 

Tommy sent a side smirk, though it clearly wasn't of ill intent. "Big Man, I'm the brother of Wilbur and the servant of the Prince - I'm a fuckin' good ass actor when around people, I'll tell you that much." 

"But... If I die either way, what's the point? If I escape I die, and if I stay here I die."

"You can escape and flee the kingdom entirely, but I think you'd be alone. I have a close contact, his name's Eret. If I can convince Dream to negotiate with him we might have an easier chance of getting you out of here, Big Man."

"... And you're sure this 'Eret' would be willing to assist me?"

"Sure he would. Now, I've got to go - apologies for the small talk, Big Man, but the Prince said he'd require of me soon so I should be heading on now. Toodles!"

"Uh- Goodbye, I suppose." George waved awkwardly, his chains jingling. Tommy stood back a couple steps before swinging his heels around and stomping off down the hallway, leaving George solitary.

That was, truly, a lot to take in.

* * *

"Well, hello there, George." Dream's voice echoed through the hall as his feet halted at the cell the other sat within. His head snapped up, and he pushed himself to his toes before smiling slightly.

"Good evening." George spoke, his voice wavering a cautious tone. Dream discerned this. 

"What's with the sudden anxiety? I understand if it's for the sudden news regarding Wilbur, I'd be quite shocked too-"

"It's not that." George cut him off with a frown. Dream paused, having never been cut off before, and his pride definitely disliked that. Though, nonetheless, he waited for the other to speak up once more.

"What is it, then, George?" Dream questioned softly, ensuring any of the other's words would stay safe with him. As he chatted, he shifted the mask over his face off to the side of it.

George looked away, eyes slowly fluttering shut with a solemn face. 

"I've been thinking. About all of this." His head turned back, "And I just... I don't know. Like - I don't know about me and you. Our relationship in all of this."

"Relationship?" Dream repeated, confused.

"Tell me Dream." George stepped closer to the bars of the cell, face-to-face with Dream.

"What are we?"

"What are we...?" Dream murmured, looking at the ground to muse. "We're... Friends, no?"

"What do you want us to be?"

"I don't know why you're asking me of this, George." Dream avoided, "What are you saying?"

"It's just a question." George shrugged, lower lip pushed out.

Dream observed him at this moment; he was beautiful as ever. Somehow, the candlelight seemed to illuminate all his perfect features. How his brown eyes had their specks of amber encrypted into them, how the very faint freckles dusted his nose, how his lips looked a pale pink. Dream held his breath.

"Something more." He spoke, hopeful.

His hope was crushed. 

"That's the issue- we shouldn't be." George looked away again, shame overwhelming his face. "I'm an anarchist, Dream, and you are a royal. It's never meant to be, for we are meeting by chance... Not by fate."

"It is fate, George-"

"Believe what you want, but Dream. It's hypocritical - for the both of us. Your reputation will be crushed if the public learn of what you feel for an inmate... Let alone an anarchist."

Dream shook his head, "It's too far now. We can't deny eachother's feelings over a silly predicament, George."

"Oh, but we can." George's eyes made strict contact with Dream's. How the tension in between them was unbearable. "You see..."

"What? Oh, George, just say it!" Dream's impatience begun to grow, he desperately wanted to feel romance with the other man. He didn't care about any old anarchy-monarchy bullshit. All he cared about was George.

"I'd rather die than fall in love with a royal."

Dream's eyes widened, "You- what?"

"You heard me, Dream."

The prince's hands balled into fists, his teeth grit. A form of anger welled up in his chest - but he still understood.

"You bastard... You bastard, George. I've been helping you throughout all of this, and you're just so selfish to deny my - and your own - feelings? What are you to gain out of any of this conversation?"

"... That, I don't necessarily know." George's eyes didnt move an inch, "I want a resolvement, I-" He paused, the tears beginning to rise.

"I just want to love you without being forced not to." He sniffled, Dream's frustration immediately turned into sympathy.

"George, I- we can. We can be something more- just let me help you, dammit!" Dream stood closer.

The distance between the two was scarce, it was suffocating. The bars couldn't even separate them at this point, especially not when Dream started to reach his hands through them to take grasp of George's own. He didn't falter, nor flinch. It seemed as though George wanted this. 

"We'll be something more. Once you're out of here, we can run away - we can start anew. I'll... I'll give up my position as Prince just to be with. George- you're so much more than anything I've ever known. You amazed me our first meeting... There's a reason I'm helping you. You're so, so special to me, George, and though we've only been brief with our conversations, they're my favourite part of being a Prince. Seriously. I love you, George." Dream's words were genuine.

The distance was futile, his hands squeezed the other's before pulling away and instantly unlocking the cell door with the key Sapnap handed to him.

With a loud screech, the door opened. Dream cared less of what noise would alert who, and instead stepped into the cage; he immediately ventured over to George and without hesitation he immediately wrapped his arms around the brunette.

George collapsed into his touch, and with the weight, the two slowly lowered themselves onto sitting on the ground - George being unable to wrap his arms around Dream due to the handcuffs, but he oh-so-desperately wanted to.

"I love you, George." Dream murmured, his face buried in George's hair. He smelled musty from being dirty, bloody and beaten, but Dream didn't care. He always smelled like that after training, only this was more extreme.

George didn't reply, instead his sobs were the only sound leaving his trembling mouth. Dream moved his head away, using his hands to trail them up George's neck and to his cheeks. He cupped the inmate's cheeks softly, wiping away salty tears and grinning.

"You're a mess. I like that. You don't keep your composure around me like all the others do... It's refreshing - a break from schedule is nice every once in a while."

George stuffled out a chuckle, his eyelids dropping in admiration towards the prince sitting in front of him. A comfortable silence fell between them, albeit short. 

Dream broke the silence, alongside breaking any internalised restraints that held him back, and he pulled the boy into a much-needed kiss. George supported this, melting in his grasp. More tears dropped, but it was only the remaining few of an emotional meltdown.

They shared intimacy for a while, the candlelight beginning to burn out from the time they spent sharing the kiss. It was nice, Dream tasted of strawberries, George noted. He must've had a sweet tooth. 

Once the candlelight was fully out, they didn't falter, Dream continued to pursue the same kiss before finally pulling away and breaking into a satisfied wheeze. 

"Holy shit, George, a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders."

George felt sleepy, ecstatic, and at ease, "And I feel resolved."

"I love you, George." Dream whispered, pecking another kiss at George's cheek before standing up and exiting the cell, "I have to go, but we've got so much work to get done."

George nodded. There was a faint light still allowing them to see eachother; it lay further down the hall.

Dream placed his mask back over his face, locking the cell door and sighing gently. 

"I'll see you tomorrow."

He turned around, but George spoke, 

"Dream!"

"Hmm?" He hummed, a little impatient but willing.

"I love you too." George whispered, a slight embarassment overwhelming him.

Dream stood still for a second, before his hands fidgeted with enthusiasm. He smiled beneath the mask, 

"Just what I wanted to hear. Goodbye, George." He spoke his adieus before scuttering off down the hall, just like Tommy had done earlier.

George sat in the dark, before he soon fell asleep, at peace with his internalised conflict. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also plan to write a new fic quite soon (once this one's concluded) but it's in the works - how would anyone feel about a little bit o' 1920s America hmm? :]  
> Not sure if I'll go through with it, or instead write a fantasy one, but lets see how the future unravels itself for now.  
> Again, comments are welcome - even criticism! writing is a bit of a 50/50 for me 😔
> 
> (edit) if this goddamn chapter doesnt post im gonna yell


	6. Sixth Epoch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dream learns about Tommy's sudden involvement, is angry, but can't find the heart to leave the boy out of their shenanegans.  
> George is lonely, but not as much when... Techno? Comes to visit.  
> Dream, Tommy and Sapnap go to visit Eret in a small home just at the edge of the kingdom, to confirm what their plans would be.  
> Then, Dream comes back at night to speak his knowledge to George within the cell. But, things go north, and the two have a little more than just a kiss.  
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact! I have abnosmia, so any sensory descriptions regarding smell are probably terribly written due to lack of experience - you have been warned!  
> /  
> I think this is my longest chapter yet, and I hope to make my next ones even longer because plot wooo!!  
> /  
> For the most part, this chapter is visibly me trying to practice writing imagery rather than just action and dialogue, so apologies if anything seems wordy, or unnecessarily long!  
> /  
> QUICK CW!! the very end part has implied nsfw (it's not graphic, like its not even implied they had sex, it's just the description of their love) so read at ur own risk please :]

_**six** _

* * *

Dream was infuriated with Tommy. 

It wasn't that of a natural occurrence for Dream to feel truly angry over something - unless it were challenging him and his pride - but this time it was different. He was seriously gritting his teeth with impatience. 

With the strong belief that the child would finally stay out of his business, his beliefs were to be left crushed. Tommy had foolishly thrown himself into danger as usual, risking everything alongside him. At least he was open to admit it, however. 

The prince turned away from Tommy, before looking back and glaring holes into the boy's chest. 

"You seriously think that'll work? You just thew yourself into my own mess without even bothering to ask me? Tommy, that's so dangerous! You best be thankful the Lord gave you a nice boss, for if I had the necessary evil attributes you'd be exiled in an instant." He bellowed, but kept his voice still rather hushed to avoid traction from any nearby servants. Dream paused for a moment, seeing Tommy's afraid face and regained his demeanor,

"Sorry, Tommy." He sighed, looking away, "It's just... I told you. You're too young to get involved, I want to keep you safe - you and Tubbo were thrown into a life of pressure far too early. You're just making it more difficult by getting involved."

Tommy didn't really process Dream's words. It was rare to see him genuinely enraged as though he were a storm ready to strike Tommy with a thousand bolts of lightning. He needed to make a decent compromise with the prince, to save George.

"Big Man, seriously, I can help! Eret's a trustworthy guy, he helps Tubbo with his work, and if Tubbo trusts him then so do I." Tommy elucidated with a panic-stricken tone. "And, we could also get Techno... You remember Techno, yeah?"

Dream nodded, utterly silent as the young teenager attempted to reconcile. 

"Techno is an anarchist - if anything, the person he'd want to save most would be an anarchist too, right? If we managed to get Techno and Sapnap to keep George undercover, helping him escape, then you and I could get Eret to bring a carriage over to the castle gates and we could get George out of here in no time. It's foolproof! Wilbur wont need to be involved... "

Dream stood for a moment, rigid, before he shook his head in disbelief. 

"You are far too confident in yourself, young man. There are many more people in the castle than just you, Sapnap, Techno, George and I. The plan could crumble in mere seconds the moment we run into someone who isn't willing to help out."

"Please, just let me help at least!" Tommy begged, Dream held up a hand as if to halt him.

"Tommy, you can assist, but you're not taking part in anything. It's too risky. You can stay at the castle with Drista, I'm sure she'd be happy to have some company that isn't some boring teenager trying to convince her that when she becomes queen he'll be her king."

Tommy groaned, "But your sister can be annoying sometimes! She's so strange, I want to be involved in the action! Come on, Big Man, you're not the only one who wants George to be saved."

Dream's eyes narrowed in suspicion, "Why are you so adamant on getting George out of there? I presume you don't know him all too well?"

Tommy shook his head. "Big Man, look." He paused, trying to put the vast puzzle pieces of words together in his mind, "It was Wilbur who openly admitted to it. To me. I asked him about George, hoping for ordinary conversation, and he openly admitted to me that he was the culprit; for I work in the castle, under King's rule, so I'd assumingly not fuckin' do anything about it. He's so weird! I'm not one for injustice, mind you, my middle name is Trusty. I'm only doing this because I know that if we prove George's innocence then the King will be dethroned and-"

"Watch your tongue, Tommy." Dream warned, eyes near shut, "For that's my father you speak of. He may be the villain in all of this, but he's still my father."

"Yeah, and my fuckin' dad left me a couple years ago to go exploring or some shit. He's still my father, innit? You're being hypocritical. I don't care if he's your dad or whatever, he's still a shitty king."

"Tommy! You realise that if anyone hears us you'll be in huge trouble, correct? Pipe down." Dream hissed, glancing around. They had been standing in the middle of a long corridor leading up to the servant's quarters, meaning quite a few servants could possibly be around. Dream was nervous, but he knew that if he simply threatened a servant into silence there'd be no further pressing issue; or so he hoped.

Tommy went quiet, looking down at the ground. It seemed talking about his own father left him in an indecent mood, and Dream felt sympathetic. He placed his hand on the boy's shoulder, then gave an awkward smile. 

"Listen, Tommy, I-" he paused, trying to find the right words, "I just want you and Tubbo to be safe, alright? You keep throwing yourself into these crazy positions without being aware of what's happening behind the scenes. It's dangerous. If you're caught doing all of this, you'll be exiled - separated from Tubbo. There'll be nothing I can do to stop it, simply because I'm not king..."

Dream trailed off, Tommy only mumbled a few curse words in frustration. 

Dream stood for around a minute at best, weighing the options in his head. He wanted Tommy to be safe (as a prince should wish safety upon all his people) but Tommy's help could seriously give them an advantage to free George of his restraints. The latter was the most risky but worth the risk. 

With a lack of obscene confidence within Dream's elegant posture, he moved his shoulders back to straighten himself out, supposedly to give himself a moreso confident appearance. 

"... Come on, Tommy. Let's go get Eret."

Tommy's head sprung up, "Seriously?!"

"Mhm." Dream confirmed, clearly unsure of his own decision as he reminisced upon it like a stressed out father. 

The teenager's feet leaped up in excitement like a hare, "Oh, Big Man! You're so fuckin' swag!"

* * *

George had been isolated for the majority of the day, he felt lonely. It wasn't uncommon for him to feel so alone to the point the silence was deafening, but it sure did ruin him every time. 

Being lonely was normal, but when you're sitting alone in an empty cell, your hands cuffed together and being malnourished, it seemed much worse than needs be. 

His hands curled into themselves, and he watched lazily as his fingers would then stretch back out like rubber; anything to confirm he was still alive and breathing, he'd pay close attentiveness towards. His hands were dirty, too, as crumbs of dirt would mould together when he curled his fingers, then snap apart as he moved them back. It was pretty satisfying to watch, but he had to wipe his hands on his - also dirty - shirt eventually.

The most company he had were the flies, and maybe even the little bugs that lived within the cracks of the wall. Unwanted company, to George's dismay.

And so when Techno, of all people, appeared from the gloominess of the hallway, George was most surprised. His bulky figure walked towards the cell bars, and he stood still. George was left unsure whether he should greet him or not, but it wasn't a pressing issue after Techno began to speak in a hushed voice. 

"You're an anarchist, right?" He asked, looking around quickly to see who was near. Nobody was; nobody ever actively wanted to lay eyes or spend time with a convicted criminal. George couldn't necessarily blame them, however, he would've done the same had he been in their position.

He was worried. Should he admit to being an anarchist to someone that wasn't Dream or Sapnap? Making the wrong choice would surely be death on a platter. However, Techno seemed to be that of the reasonable kind, he clearly didn't take messing around and foolishness lightheartedly. From their interaction within the interrogation room, George knew he wouldn't immediately jump to the gun just to wrap his hands around George's neck in anger. It put him at ease, if anyone were to ask such a personal question, he was thankful it had to be Techno.

Thats exactly when George remembered what Tommy had told him the day prior. Techno was an anarchist too.

George nodded in confirmation, his nerves filling up his blood with a cold pressure alike ice, preventing him to speak out of true fear. 

Techno's facial expression refused to falter, it remained monotone. Initially George assumed he was displeased, however, when Techno's eyes seemed to become overwhelmed with a sense of sympathy, he felt rather relieved.

"My suspicion was correct, that I can see." He began to talk again, his large teeth growing more and more terrifying as the words slipped from his mouth, "You've been put in a similar situation as I have, only yours is... Deemed temporary." Techno observed the cage, his eyes narrowing.

George sighed in displeasure, "Oh, don't remind me. I've been kept here against my own will. Though... How did you learn of my beliefs?"

"A little birdie told me." Techno shrugged, before whispering, "Tommy did. He's got some plans to help you get out of here. Don't ask of what they are, for I've been left unaware."

Silence hit, as footsteps approached. George internally groaned, of course another person came to visit as soon as George recieved the opportunity to talk to someone similar to him.

Large stone bricks and mossy gaps couldn't mask whatever noise protruded themselves from the abyss, they created void-like echoes and ethereal auras to which George couldn't help but feel on edge. The whole area really was a nightmare come true, as though the same moss morphed into vines, enveloping itself into a monster to swallow George whole. Let alone the fog, as it glided from wall to wall, creating an atmosphere so dull you'd have to squint to see ahead. To say George was thankful for torches was an understatement, for he probably would've lost his marbles by now if he was left in the pitch dark.

The dark cracks in the wall were intimidating, dirty. They had small noises coming from inside of them - but George didn't know if that was just his imagination or literal. Sometimes, in the corner of his eye, he'd spot little beady eyes peek out from the cracks and when he'd snap around there'd be nothing but the clinking noise of his chains and his burnt wrists.

Don't get him started on the smell either, it smelled musty. The whole place smelled of damp and dirt, mixed with the smell of mould and dusty wood that had aged too long to still remain standing upright. His nose crinkled with every breath, but even breathing through his mouth was no better; then he could taste the damp air and the heavy oxygen weighing him down like a dumbell.

He didn't comprehend how anyone could go down into the dungeon whatsoever, let alone visit him specifically. It was like asking for a disease to kill you, only not as extreme.

So when the steps stopped for a second, then a silhouette appeared from the mist, seemingly hesitant, George couldn't help but feel uneasy. 

"Techno?" Sapnap's voice rung out from the dark, before he stepped closer to unveil himself in his true beauty. "Whatever are you doing here? Mustn't you be at training?"

"Was dismissed. Punz said he didn't require my assistance to train anyone today." Techno replied nonchalantly, standing up straight and facing Sapnap with a stern look, "I am here because the prisoner and I share similar attributes; ones in which im interested in. You need not be so shocked, I'm already acutely aware of how nice you are to him. Don't fret, I'm not going to hurt him just because he's an orphan now." Techno raised his arms up above his head, mocking a surrending stance.

Sapnap merely shook his head in dismissal, "I wouldn't count on you to do something like that, my mistake. I'm just here to check up on him - the Prince and I are heading out soon, regarding some errands to run revolving around George too."

"Errands? No need to be so discrete, I already know you're trying to set him free." Techno shrugged, as if it wasn't a big deal. Sapnap's face flushed im embarassment, and he scratched the back of his neck in attempt to play it off.

"Yeah... Yeah, alright, uhm, so you're not against it?" He asked, his voice breaking slightly out of fear. Techno's demeanor did not change, though he hummed

"Hmm. No. But that doesn't mean I condone it. I need to keep a bias here if I wish to keep my job and not end up like him - you know, my life is on the line here too. If you were some other knight, and you caught me in here, I'd probably be executed around the same time as George here," Techno's hands gestured to George, who was dazed.

"Wait! What do you mean? Do they know I'm an anarchist?" George cried out, worry filling him. So maybe that was another reason as to why no guard ever actively checked on him, they probably hoped he'd rot in his cell.

"No, but rumours spread like wildfire when theres hundreds of guards set at specific stations. The king has already linked your deceased mother to anarchism, so it'd be likely guards are quick to assume you're part of it too. And, now, knowing you are one makes much more sense." Techno confirmed, not bothering to take his eyes off Sapnap's nervous figure.

Sapnap's smile was clearly forced, his hands were clammy. He finally shifted his legs from their original position as he moved towards both Techno and George. He opened the pouch to the side of his belt and slowly pulled out the remainders of a health potion. 

"Techno, you don't mind me giving George the final bit of this potion, do you?" He chuckled anxiously, "I'm sure you won't tout, you couldn't even if you wanted to avoid getting yourself in trouble."

"No need to play smart," Techno grunted, as he stepped aside, "And I don't necessarily care what you do down here, just keep the romantics away from me."

George flushed. Romantics?! Sapnap's eyes widened, and he shook his head immediately,

"Dude- no! Nothing romantic is happening between me and George."

Techno's eyebrow perked, "Why must you visit him so frequently then?" he asked, as Sapnap internally combusted before he shook his head once more. His free hand used the key that unlocked the cell door and he pushed it open with little strength needed.

"No romantics, we're just allies. Besides, I already have not one - but two - spouses waiting at home for me. And obviously, I'm not going to play it cheesy around little Georgie here, especially when Dream's got the hots for him." Sapnap rambled, uncorking the potion casually. He didn't take notice when George gasped aloud in retaliation, and Techno's entire figure paused.

"What?" The half-boar asked, seeming to show more emotion in a single word than he had done all day. Sapnap's head piped up, before he realised what he had said. He laughed nervously.

"I mean- uh-"

"You mean what you said." Techno's eyes narrowed, burning gaping holes into Sapnap before he relaxed, "My, I always thought the Prince was a strange fellow, clearly even moreso now that I know he's infatuated with an inmate anarchist."

George couldn't even protest, for he knew it was definitely quite weird.

"Anyways, like I said, keep the romantics away from me, I'm not interested." Techno looked away from both of them, and towards the ground. 

Sapnap's anxiety morphed into playfulness, as he began to tease, "Oh, but Techno, you should've seen the looks the two bore into eachother! So full of love!" He expressed in a sing-song tone. 

"Shut up."

"Oh, and the conflict! Prince Dream is oh-so-worried of his position as prince being crumbled over this! He was crying out, 'mwah! Kiss me Gogy! Kiss me! For I am a mere prince, destined to lose you!' as he crumbles beneath George's gaze!"

"That didn't happen at all!" George cried. "And- And who's 'Gogy'?! What kind of nickname is that?" 

"Shut up!" Techno grunted, a little louder this time. Sapnap eventually shut himself up, but his playful snorts could still be heard.

Finally, he handed George the health potion, who graciously took it and finished it off in one large swing and gulp. He gasped in satisfaction as Sapnap slid out of the cell, locked the door, and saluted in a mockingly-serious manner.

"All done, chief." He concluded, before giving a rather femenine wave, "Now it's my time to say adieu, for I must get back to George's boyfriend and assist him so he doesn't get assassinated or something! Bye!"

And with that, Sapnap spedwalked down the hallway and out of sight. Techno was quick to do the same, speaking his goodbyes before walking off to grab George some food. When he returned, he didn't stay long, excusing himself within no time, reason being something along the lines of 'afternoon duty'. 

* * *

Instead of walking, for once they took the carriage downtown and to the edge of the Kingdom. The area around was simplistic, Dream liked it. There was minimalistic detail, the majority being natural. He noticed wildlife, rabbits, birds, even snakes, all roaming around in their own natural habitats. The flowers were blooming, healthy, and rich. They provided the bees with all the nutrients one would need - Tommy was especially fascinated with this, as he rambled on about how much Tubbo liked bees.

Sapnap was the one driving the carriage, he had a tight grip on where the horses could walk, and sung out a happy tune as they walked down the road casually. It was definitely faster than on foot, so Sapnap was glad to give his arms a workout rather than his feet for once. He wore a white bandana to pull the black strands hair away from his eyes, but the sun beat down on him like a drum thanks to this. He would've worn a hat, but hats didn't necessarily work well with suits of armor fashion-wise. Coincidentally, they passed by Sapnap's home, and his two husbands peeked out the window; the two clearly ecstatic to see him, even for just a moment. Sapnap blew kisses to them both, before Dream poked his head out the window to tease Sapnap for being so cheesy.

The ride was definitely an enjoyable sequence. For once there was no tension, no unease, rather the open confidence of three men (two men, rather, and one boy) ready to ask for the assistance of a mysterious fellow in hopes they release an innocent man. Eret.

Upon arrival at Eret's house, Dream was first to notice how intimidating it seemed at first sight. It stood out unnaturally to the area developing around it, though there was no real scary part to it nonetheless. Perhaps the lack of windows, and the run-down roof would be a setback to anyone, including Dream, though this didn't seem to prevent Sapnap and Tommy from hopping off the carriage and venturing to the door.

"You two, slow down." Dream said, stepping off the step leading out of the carriage and following suit behind the two ahead of him. Tommy stepped aside, allowing Dream to politely knock on the front door a few times before instantly cutting back in front of the Prince when he heard the creaking of floorboards from the inside.

The door opened slowly, it budged once before a loud creek followed as it slowly, but surely, revealed a tall man with sunglasses covering his eyes. He wore a polite smile, and he stood upright. Dream peeked behind him, observing how his house seemed tidy, but definitely lacked furniture except for a few chairs and a wooden coffee table that was tilted slightly. The man shifted, beginning to block Dream's view - unsure if he was intentional to do so or not.

"Good evening, gentlemen. And, your highness." The man spoke, giving a polite bow gestured towards Dream. "Whatever do you need?"

"Sir Sapnap, Prince Dream, this is Eret." Tommy gestured, pride brimming off his young shoulders. Dream's eyebrow raised slightly, finally being able to put the name to the face. To be fair, this was definitely not what he had anticipated when Tommy talked about a seemingly trustworthy guy. Though, he trusted Tommy's will.

"Good evening, Eret," Dream held out a hand, open to shake. Eret gracefully took his hand and shook, especially careful to not mishandle royal skin. "We're here today because we have a request for you."

Sapnap stood back, behind Dream. He kept close - ain't nobody gonna lay a wrong hand on the Prince on his watch, even if the population around them was scarce.

Tommy spoke up, seeing that Dream didn't really know where to begin. "You see, Eret, we-"

Eret held up a hand to pause the youngest boy. "Shhh. Come inside, I'll boil us a pot of tea and we can sit down to chat. It's no use being that secretive when in public, plus, I must give my name a good impression when around the Prince for that matter." He explained as he casually led the group inside, though Sapnap shook his head in dismissal to stay outside and keep an eye on the carriage.

Tommy and Dream were led to the main room, the same area Dream had observed prior. Up close, Dream noticed bookshelves and maps on the wall, he noticed a few photos, showing portraits of what he assumed to be Eret's family. The books were clearly for education, showing the history of polotics and the past monarchs of the kingdom. Eret told them to sit down, as he stepped into a side room to begin preparing a pot of tea. Silence filled the room, tension thick.

Tommy was staring at a side room, opposite the one Eret had entered, and his eyes were narrowed in that of complete pivot. His hand glided up, and he pointed.

"Tubbo's in there." He said, out of the blue. Dream looked at the room and nodded,

"Is he? Why so?"

Tommy shrugged, "Eret mentors him. I said earlier, he helps Tubbo with his work after training. I think we might've interrupted him or something."

"You're not going to check up on your brother?" Dream questioned, his head tilted, "You don't see him often during the day, it might make him happy."

Tommy shook his head, but Dream could see in his eyes that he desperately wanted to kick down the door and create mayhem with Tubbo. "Not yet, we've got more important stuff to do. If Tubbo saw me here we'd both go fuckin' hyper mode, and I can't afford that right now."

Dream smiled slightly, reaching over to place a firm hand of reassurance on Tommy's shoulder, "You're awfully mature today, what's gotten into you?" He teased, before Eret came back into the room with a few mugs of tea in his hands and a plate of finely decorated biscuits.

Tommy didn't reply to Dream's teasing, instead he quickly went to munch down on the largest biscuit there was. Neither of the adults stopped him, they'd both probably do the same if they had less internalised restraints to pull them back.

Eret sat down on a chair, crossed his legs, and gave another unsettling yet polite smile. 

"Well, gentlemen, speak your truth to me." He curled his fingers around eachother, slowly slumping his back in an arch as he shifted in the seat to make himself congenial.

Tommy began, mouth full of biscuit, "Sho, there'sh thish fufkin' weird shituashion goinf on-" his words were cut off by Dream hushing him. 

"Tommy, that's rather vile. Here, let me do the explaining," Dream offered, recieving a less than pleased glance from Tommy. He turned to Eret.

"You've grown aware of the detaining and due execution of George Davidson, correct?" Eret nodded, so Dream continued, "Well, upon further inspection, we learned he's fully innocent, and we'd like to require your assistance in helping him escape. As you live close to the kingdom's gates, we figured you're our best shot at sneaking him out. Of course, you can deny, but we'd have to bribe you to keep your mouth shut."

Eret's smile dropped, he looked lost in thought, before his face tilted in intriguement, "And you're aware his innocence is true, yes?" He asked, but it was rhetorical, "What'll you give me in return?"

"My entire status as prince, if even possible." Dream said, all too confidently.

Tommy spat out some crumbs of biscuit in shock, swallowed the rest, and snapped his head towards Dream in shock, "You wot?! Dream, that's insane! I thought Wilbur was a fuckin' madman, but you?! There's no way you're giving up your own status for a rescue mission!"

Dream shook his head, "Tommy, it's not just because it's a rescue mission. It's much more than that, I believe George is the man for me, and a loverman has to do what a loverman has to do; if that means to let go of everything to obtain something, so be it."

Tommy cringed, "You're so fuckin' weird, green bastard."

Eret shook his head profusely, "My apologies, your highness, however I do not require anything as obscene as that. I don't even think it's possible. Perhaps a noblety? Sir Eret sounds quite nice, no? If I had more money, It would be much easier to get the proper education for little old Tubbo in there," Eret gestured to the same room as before, with a relaxed smile, "I'm flattered, however. But, I don't require your position."

"Okay- listen, we'll figure something out when the time is right. For now, Tommy and I just hope you'll be available in four day's time, I'll send you a letter on what the details will be so we can easily communicate without my father growing suspicion." Dream concluded, taking a long sip of tea as he pretended like he definitely did not just nearly give up his princehood for some anarchist named George.

Tommy looked back at Eret, "Can you believe I work with this guy? Swear his fuckin' pride will result in a civil war or some shit."

Eret chuckled, "I doubt that."

As if on cue, Tubbo walked out of his room. His brown locks of hair were messy, he looked a little tired from a long day. His eyes landed on Tommy, and his demeanor instantly brightened. Tommy's demeanor did the same, they really were close friends alongside brothers.

"Tommy!"

"Tubbo!"

"There they go," Dream whispered, like a father watching his child be reunited with their best friend. He watched as Tommy leaped up, and instantly disappeared with Tubbo into the side room without a goodbye. Dream was about to tell him to come back, before Eret shook his head.

"Don't worry about him, I'll bring him home with Tubbo. I'm sure you don't require him for the rest of the day, do you?"

Dream gazed at Eret, slowly shaking his head, "Perhaps not. I'll be seeing to it. Goodbye, Eret, I thank you for your gracious time."

"Goodbye, your highness, have a good night." Eret spoke as Dream stood up to leave the house, he followed closely behind as they bid their goodbyes once more and Dream was soon left with Sapnap at the doorstep.

"Well?" Sapnap hummed, "How'd it go? Where's Tommy?"

Dream laughed as they began to walk to the carriage, "It went great, actually. He was quick to accept our offer, and Tommy was reunited with Tubbo a little early, so I decided to just let him off for the rest of the day."

Sapnap snorted, assisting Dream in climbing into the carriage as he lowered himself onto one knee and held out his hand as a boost, Dream using his foot to prop himself up and into the carriage. He didn't need the boost, Sapnap knew that, but to keep up royal appearance to everyone nearby, the little things meant a lot.

"I swear, Dream, you're too nice to be the future King."

"Well," Dream hummed, "Let's see how 'future King' plays out, shall we?"

* * *

It was later than usual when Dream finally got to visit George that night. George was wide awake, waiting expectantly for him, and he almost jumped in excitement when he saw the Prince. Had he not lacked energy and had his limbs not been stiff, he would've broken into a twirl. 

Dream laughed, "Someone's excited to see me." He spoke, opening the cage without hesitation and instantly going over to embrace George. The night before's events broke all restraints, the two were comfortable to share any form of intimacy with eachother now, and the two of them loved it.

"Of course I am, who wouldn't be?" George hummed, pressing his face into Dream's chest. It was warm, he felt the heartbeat thump against his ear steadily and he was so, so in love just by that alone.

Dream pulled away from their one-sided embrace, as he sat them both down and handed George some more food. This time it was the same biscuits from Eret's house, he had pinched them when the other wasn't looking. It did no harm, it saved him having to ask a servant for extra bread or leftover pastries out of the blue.

"I've got good news to bestow," Dream began, his voice soft and low as he firmly held onto George's hand, squeezing occasionally to reassure the other he was still there. George didn't need the reassurance, but it was nice nonetheless.

"Tell me," George whispered, his eyes half-shut as he leaned closer to Dream. His hands slowly made their way away from Dream's grasp and held onto the blonde's arms, right where the elbow was, and it was comfortable.

"We're so close, George," Dream cried out quietly, genuine happiness escaping his tone, "So close to getting you out of here. Eret, - I presume you know him from Tommy - Eret has agreed to assist us in your escape. It's wonderful, George, seriously. I can't wait to just... Be able to hold you all day. I can't wait to finally be able to buy you new clothes - we can move out of this kingdom, run away, and we can start anew. Wouldn't you like that? We could own a cottage, get some animals, and maybe even adopt some children-"

"Too fast, slow down," George mumbled, a lighthearted laugh escaping his lips, "only time will tell us of what is to happen. You never know, I might just die in due time."

"You won't." Dream insisted, his eyes filled with love.

George moved closer, closing any gaps between their chests as he cuddled Dream tightly, "I trust you." He mumbled, "But even so, just in case, I want these nights to be our best."

"What do you want? I'm a Prince, I can give you anything."

"Except instantaneous freedom, though I am appreciative of your words." George's voice was quiet, intimate. His words oozed into Dream's skin, and though he was teasing, Dream couldn't help but feel like he was trapped within George's words, an endless maze of pure infatuation and inclination. He was a mess around George.

"Tell me, George, what do you want?"

"You," George hushed out, his hands reaching up to rest on Dream's flushed cheeks as he leaned close.

Their breaths were hot, their lips brushed together so elegantly it'd be mistaken for a feather. Dream's eyes were wide in expectancy, whilst George's eyes were lidded and gazed.

"I want you." George repeated, to make himself more clear as he slipped into the aura of warm affection. 

Dream went silent from his words, and instead he used his hands to rest them on George's back, before pulling him into a deep kiss. They shared intimacy, for God knows how long. Their kiss had honey, elderflower, and alpine all smoothed into their lips, not literal, but the sheer beauty of it was enough to make George melt from ecstasy.

Soon, they had pushed themselves onto the ground, with Dream sitting atop of George, and their eyes never leaving eachother. 

The candlelight once again illuminated both their features, but it went out quicker than before. And in the dark, the two proceeded with their love, it progressed, and soon they had melted into eachother, with little 'I love you's and cries of happiness. Any conflict had burnt away from the heat shared, any shame was left behind at the cell door. Their privacy was special, and Dream used his cape to wrap around George to keep him warm after they had both finished.

When the night was over, George was ruined with love, and Dream was messy with glee. Their nights together would definitely be much closer than before. Dream reclothed George, assuring he was so beautiful while he did it. He reminded George that this wouldn't be their last time sharing that extreme sensuality, and George knew it wasn't. Their honey, alpine and elderflower lips kissed once more before Dream had to finally leave, leaving George to reminisce on all they had just done.

He had never been happier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah i. Wooh. That end part was difficult to write. Ive never written fluff before other than in oneshots BDNSNFNDNCXNCNX


	7. Seventh Aurora

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dream is, obviously, exhausted from the night prior, and makes an impulse decision that could result in either the worst or the best outcome of George's escape.  
> George's loneliness begins to take a toll on his mind, but when a face that's... New... visits him only to find out a huge discovery, he begins to feel thankful he was lonely beforehand.  
> Dream is alerted of George's uncanny situation through Sapnap and Tommy, but they have no choice but to keep with the original plan.  
> Sapnap takes a sweet visit to his husbands, karl and quackity - they're being involved! (uh oh!)  
> And, when Dream finally visits his lover, he's left with a half-conscious George and a huge burden on his shoulders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw // violence!!  
> /  
> FINALLY! a chapter where its majorly sapnap-centric!!! Some lore on his past and also some plot progression. I want this fic to not just be centered around the dnf part, but also giving other characters a chance to be present and have their own developments :] also a little introduction to quackity and karl, who i hope to write a bit more later.  
> /  
> This chapter is definitely a bit late, but the christmas holidays had me caught up in alot of chores and busy jobs to do. Now I'm free (except for schoolwork) and ready to write! :D
> 
> (UPDATE) YALL I DEADASS WROTE 8,170 WORDS FOR THIS CHAPTER NO WONDER IT TOOK SO LONG LMFAOOOOO

_**se** **pt** _

* * *

"Father, in two days time I would be happy to hold a ball."

An impulse decision. That of a regret instantly overwhelming Dream's stature, as he tried to distract himself from any indication he felt sexually inclined to George the night before. 

He hadn't talked about this with Tommy, nor George, not even Sapnap - who had been in the same room with him as he requested such a bizarre idea. It was clear that Sapnap had been doing his best to cover up the sheer bewilderment that built up in his chest.

Their morning had gone slow, Dream slept in rather later than usual and when woken up by Tommy he nearly panicked whilst thinking he had fallen asleep in the dungeons. Fortunately, Tommy didn't really question anything; he was more concerned about how the plans would reveal themselves.

Sapnap, on the other hand, broke into hysterical laughter once he put the pieces together. Dream stood there, flustered, whilst his best friend poked fun at the fact he had finally gotten laid, but in a dungeon of all places.

" _Care_ _ful, Dream," Sapnap heaved out in between long snickers that bore through the Prince's ears and out the other side, "I don't think a few metal bars are going to censor your private areas."_

_"Oh, shut up, you." Dream merely grunted in response, "I'm tired after it. Get me some water, and get the mere thought of what happened last night out of your mind - you have spouses, for pity's sake!"_

_"Got it, princie!" Sapnap grinned as he scurried off, leaving Dream to regret his entire life choices._

Dream knew George would also get a fair share of teasing from Sapnap eventually. 

And that left us here. Dream standing ahead of the throne, his princely attire suited nicely on his body as he tried his best to not show his trembling legs or his dark eyelids from exhaustion. His shoulders were pushed upright, trying to make himself look forcefully polite within the presence of his father. 

The request left the king confused, but the thought of George seemed to not linger his thoughts, as he sat upright with a courteous grin and a few hand gestures to show his piqued interest. 

"Two days time? Why so, my son?" The King asked, shifting in his seat to leer closer. Dream remained unhinged, still slightly uneasy as he was before.

"No apparent reason, there's some Nobles that I haven't seen in quite a while, it'd be nice to see them again - perhaps find myself a wife." He lied through his teeth, but Dream was always a good manipulator.

"Two days time is a little bit rushed, no? Give it four, in three days time there's a few executions to take place in the square. I'd say give it four days and perhaps we can arrange something."

Fuck, he's difficult to please. 

"Yes, however, father -" Dream paused, "Maybe a ball would lighten the tension for three days to come? It should raise their spirits, and make people more likely to witness them the following day." He negotiated with such elegance in his voice, contrasting his demeanor drastically.

The king seemed unsure, unwilling, and unconvinced at his son's idea, "Well, I haven't done that before." He sat upright, glancing at Sapnap who only gave a polite nod, "And I am certainly not one to change schedule so often, my son."

"Perhaps now is the time to try something new?" Dream smiled generously, his physicality finally deemed relaxed as he got into the flow of acting, "Switch things up, see how it works out." He shrugged lightly, as his arms sat at his sides.

The king sighed, then nodded vigorously as though he were in heavy thought. "Okay, A ball. Two days. Trying something new. Got it... However, just this once."

Dream almost jumped in the air out of joy at those words, but instead chose to thank his father and scurry out of the grand throne room without anymore pestering. Sapnap followed suit, upholding his serious posture until the two were out of view from anyone else, namely servants. 

Dream walked back to his room, which was thankfully not too far - just up a staircase in the middle of the hall, then down the hall after that, then... Okay, perhaps it was a bit far, but not far enough for Dream to get aggravated.

As he shut the door behind them once both he and Sapnap had entered the bedroom, Sapnap's tanned fists were clenched tightly and he was most definitely annoyed. Dream braced himself anxiously.

It wasn't uncommon for Sapnap to get angry over an inconsiderate decision made by the Prince, however, when he was showing his enragement he was quick to raise his voice, be sharp, and not so quick to listen as much. It even put Dream on edge, and he was one to talk.

"Dream, are you stupid?!" He bellowed, "A ball - in two days!? You realise we need to help George out, not find you some pretty princess to replace him!" Sapnap ranted, pacing back and forth hastily to stimulate himself, "Oh my Lords! You really don't think before you act sometimes, do you? Dream, you could've just told me you wanted to get a girlfriend or something, I know plenty of women-"

"Shut up, Sapnap." Dream cut him off, though the insult was clearly lightheartedly spoken. "I'm not doing this to get a wife, I'm doing this for George."

"What? And you expect George to come running out of the dungeons in some pretty little princess dress and diving into your arms in the middle of a damn ballroom? Dream, it doesn't work like that!"

I mean that didn't sound too bad, Dream thought. 

"That's not what I'm trying to get at, you idiot!" Dream scoffed, watching as Sapnap's mouth slowly closed, expectantly waiting for the Prince to explain himself. Dream coughed, before continuing, "What I'm trying to say is that we can disguise George as a noble. Get him some fancy attire, a mask, a hat, get him all clean and nice, and then lead him outside to Eret who'll probably have a carriage or something! It's a good plan, trust me!" Dream pleaded, hoping he had convinced the other.

Sapnap scoffed, a hand raising up to his face in aggravation, "It's bound to fail, man. I'm not the only guard in this damn castle, and you know theres plenty other guards who wouldn't be willing to listen to you nor me. They serve the King, not you. You can't get out of the mess you've thrown yourself into, dumbass." He paused, holding his breath before lowering his hand and stepping over to Dream with hesitance, placing a slightly twitched hand on the blond's raised shoulder. "Dude, I know you care about George... But can you at least tell me the plans before you go and make such an idiotic decision? This is risky business, and you're my best friend. I can't lose you just because you fell in love with some inmate. Dream, I..." Sapnap pulled his hand away, stepped back, and exhaled a long breath before smiling. "I care about you, man..."

The tension was thick, Sapnap had clearly been left unsure of how to phrase his thoughts. He was focused, Dream could see it in his slightly furrowed eyebrows and his mildly crinkled chin as he sucked his bottom lip in to chew. 

"Alright, fine, yeah. Let's go through the basics of the plan, I'll look for Tommy... Wherever he is." The knight concluded, giving a shaky thumbs up.

Dream stood silently, a small smile creeping along his face as he saw Sapnap give in to his plan; for he knew the other would come around eventually. To be fair, he wasn't as confident in his plan as he'd hoped - it was on impulse, after all.

When Sapnap left the room in search of Tommy, Dream's fingers crossed behind his back slyly.

* * *

George was, to put it lightly, physically exhausted. Not just from the night before, but in general too. You see, he hadn't washed in days, he hadn't even brushed his teeth! Lord knows how Dream could kiss him when his breath probably stunk.

He could feel little bugs crawling up his skin and into the little rips of clothing, intruding into every bit of body he had concealed, and making him feel rather self conscious. To think he'd been put to such torture all because he was framed.

Ahead of him lay the remaining few crumbs of the biscuits he was graciously gifted, he had quickly wolfed them down the moment he got them, but their depressing remains stayed put. With a few lazy kicks of his feet, George sent the crumbs aside, watching as they'd roll a short distance, to the side, before stopping and he'd then kick them again. It was pretty entertaining. 

He had hoped that the night before would be his final night, considering all bounds were broken loose, and he and Dream had been closer than ever. However, it seemed not. Unfortunately he'd have to put up in this diminishing cell for a short while longer, whether he escapes or is executed. He didn't necessarily blame Dream for unwillingly keep him here, whatever plans they were making would surely be much more safe than a messy breakout after a long night's embrace.

So much for 'operation: abandon Dream's assistance' George thought.

His exhaustion was to no avail, as per usual a guard came down to supposedly greet him. At this stage, he'd much rather deal with loneliness than have to put up with another guard who'd probably threaten to beat him up if he spoke remotely out of line - that being, if he spoke at all.

The footsteps were different, they weren't like Sapnap's stomp and a skip, Techno's hard clunks in the ground from his heavy armor, and it was most definitely not the gentle pattering of Dream's feet as he tried to remain discrete. These footsteps were something different, slightly off rhythm, an odd stomp then an odd skid of the boot, and before George knew better, the guard unveiled themselves from the shadow's curtain.

He didn't recognise him, for once. The guard had blond, messy hair, some stubble covering his chin, and bright blue eyes. He seemed to have a fairly casual posture, definitely not angry nor happy to be in the presence of George, but relaxed nonetheless. His hands slowly raised, and he waved with slight uncertainty. 

"Hi, George," The guard greeted, as he lowered his hand before getting closer to the bars, seemingly preparing to unlock the cage, "I'm sure you're tired of visitors, I'd be too if I were caught up in some trap like this. Name's Punz, someone's requested to talk to you. Normally I'd deny some weird stuff like that, but they claimed to be an old friend of yours. I guess it's nice to reunite a few days before your death; probably, anyways." Punz rambled, his hand scrambling through his full satchel as he rummaged about for the cell keys. George listened, but he needed not speak a word in response, but Punz didn't seem to mind.

"You know a Wilbur Soot, right?" Punz asked, finally pulling out the small key with a satisfied grin. He double checked his satchel before shutting it, listening to the small click of the button and looking directly towards George.

"I do, yeah," George confirmed. He had stood up to be similar height to Punz, but his legs were shaky, but an easy explanation was the cold combined with his clear exhaustion. The thought waved throughout his mind; Wilbur wanted to visit him? But... Why? Wasn't he the very man who framed him?

"Alright, cool." Punz nodded, his hand gliding towards the cell door as he took a firm grip of one of the bars, before jolting to a stop. George stared, bewildered.

"What happened?"

Punz looked down at the keyhole, then back up to George, before his face went from casual to irate.

"Why's your cage unlocked?"

George froze on the spot, blinking wildly. His blood went cold, and the heat in his head rose to alarming levels before he managed to mutter out a small, intimidated "huh?"

Punz's complexion grew distressed, and he managed to open the cage entirely with one tough pull of his fist. The cage opened, the loud creaking of the slightly rusted bars aggressive banging against the stone wall created white noise in George's ears as he collapsed onto his knees, the stress overwhelming his stature unwelcomingly.

"Get up! Why the fuck is your cage unlocked?!" Punz yelled again, pulling out his sword and pointing it directly at George, "I'll fucking kill you on the spot, don't think I wont!" His tone was agressive, and George's body trembled under the weight of the sword as Punz pushed the hilt against his back, almost piercing his skin. He leaned down and grabbed George by the back of his hair roughly and pulling him up to his feet, ignoring the pained cry of protest that soon followed.

"I don't - I don't know?!" George defended, stumbling once the grip on his hair was released. His handcuffs suffocated his wrists, and Punz was quick to bring his foot up to stomp on the chain, watching as George was singlehandedly dragged down back onto the ground with a thud, a large groan of pain soon to follow.

George was never a weak spirit. He always stood up for himself, despite being easily embarrassed and quite malnourished normally. He had some strength, he was even good with a bow and arrow. He wasn't the stereotypical weak, femenine man. He was definitely much stronger than he let on most of the time, being an introvert meant all your strengths were locked up, waiting for the day they'd be needed.

But to George's dismay, he couldn't defend himself through this.

The weight of a heavy boot ripping through his gravity and pulling him to the cold floor was enough to cause the handcuffs to rip large gashes into his skin; his hands growing limp as he didn't have enough strength to continue to move them.

George lay on the ground silently, his bones feeling like jelly as he trembled under any hiss of pain his body inflicted upon himself. Punz was strong, for sure. He might've originally showed a casual composure but the facade had soon crumbled. The stone was cold, his wrists freezing and bruised, the skin going a slightly purple hue as all he could do was sit miserably under the shadow of the guard looming above him intimidatingly.

Punz, however, seemed to be finished hurting the boy, but not before he used his sword to swing at George's back, creating an indecent gash and a rip in his clothes. George could barely scream, his throat had gone dry. He was too tired to even feel the pain, it was to no avail.

The blood quietly trinkled out of his injury, as his cheek pressed against the ground and his eyes lidded in lack of sleep. Both his hands continued to bleed out, and even some cuts from the previous beating had opened from the sudden movements (though they hadn't hurt as much, as Sapnap's healing potions were quick to let them heal over).

He couldn't even manage to comprehend what the guard was saying anymore, it was all blurry and his ears were cloudy from white noise and internal thoughts that screamed and wailed at him from the darkness of his brain, he felt desolate and hollow.

Soon, he passed out. 

Punz seemed to stumble back a little, glaring at the open cage and then back at the unconscious man beneath him, rather he felt uncomfortable in the position he was in.

George had fallen unconscious, probably from a mix between fear and inflicted pain, though Punz felt little remorse.

With a slight heave, Punz pushed his sword back into its sheath and then stepped around the cage, observing to see any reason as to why the cage had been unlocked. To be fair, it didn't make much sense for the door to be open and for George to not try and make an escape. He had no more neck chain and it was only the chains around his hands holding him back, he had an open opportunity of freedom. Wouldn't any criminal want that days before their execution? Any sorry soul would grasp a few extra days the minute they were granted the obscure opportunity.

It was most definitely intriguing, but Punz didn't care enough to investigate.

There were a few crumbs from before, but Punz could easily associate them as bread, at least George was mannerful enough to not leave his cage too unclean. 

There was a small pause in his step before Punz decided to lean down and pull George up, heaving him over one shoulder and leaving the cell entirely. He locked the door behind him and then walked up the staircase down the hallway. 

Once he had left the dungeon entirely, the first thing the guard did was begin to take George to a small side room where he could lay down and relax his new injuries; Punz just needed a nurse. He would've left the inmate down in the dungeons, but you can't interrogate someone who's half dead.

The servant quarters was close to the dungeon, so he decided that was the best place to set George. 

He walked down a large hallway that seemed majorly empty; the most noise to be heard was the little plops of blood that splat on the ground below him, but he'd just ask a servant to clear that up later.

The hallway had white walls, with magnificent paintings of the royals. Some were portraits of older Kings and Queens, others were the royal family at current. The obscene lack of paintings of the Queen who had gone missing almost gave an unsettling aura to each photo, but it needn't matter to Punz. He was just here to do his job, he didn't necessarily care about whatever lore the family had going on in the background. 

There were lots of potted lavender plants settled neatly on wooden sidetables down the hall, they gave off a relaxing smell that easily masked the musty smell of dried blood and dirt the inmate had portruding off himself. 

A door to Punz's right opened, revealing a slightly startled Tommy and Sapnap. He stopped in his tracks, nodded, before continuing to walk with George laying over his shoulder, tranquil.

It took a few seconds for Tommy and Sapnap to react, before they started to follow Punz, 

"What happened here?" Sapnap asked, keeping up as he looked at George's pained face, "Is he alright?"

Punz snorted, "Christ, Sapnap, does he look alright to you?"

"No..."

"There's your answer, dumbass." Punz scoffed, "His cell was open. I tried to get a response out of him as to why it was but he went all breakdown mode on me and now we're here."

"He's fuckin' bleeding out, though!" Tommy called out from behind, having to keep up via speedwalking. Punz scoffed,

"No shit, Mr. Detective." He replied, the sarcasm dripping from his tongue, "I got annoyed so now I'm taking him to a room where he can get patched up and maybe give me a bit of insight as to why the hell his cage was unlocked."

"You sure you weren't a little harsh?" Sapnap questioned, "Poor guy's set to die in three days and you're more concerned as to why he had the chance to escape but didn't?"

"You're one to talk about being harsh, Sapnap."

"Okay- just because I nearly killed a guy who stole my potions doesn’t inherently mean I'm harsh." He retorted in defence. 

"He didn't even realise they were yours, you just set them aside for no reason and he almost died for it!"

"Shut up, that's not the point!" Sapnap hissed, before stopping with Punz at a room close to the end of the hall, "Anyways, this room is empty I believe, why were you visiting him anyways? Normally I'm set to do that." Sapnap asked, as he unlocked the room.

When the door opened, a nicely suited room with a comfortable bed revealed itself. It had a pure white candlelit lamp and a white bedsheet. There was a small chair to the side and a few drawers to the left of the room. It was definitely once a servant's room. 

"He had a visitor. Wilbur Shit or something, I can't remember the name." Punz replied before looking around, "Probably should've got him patched up before we brought him here." He sighed in annoyance at the thought.

He didn't notice how both Tommy and Sapnap's mouth dropped at the name Wilbur Soot, but they were quick to mask it. 

"No worries, I'm a trained medic, remember?" Sapnap grinned playfully, "Bring him here," he opened his arms in anticipation, "Tommy can help me out. You go tell Wilbur he's been in a bit of a tough situation, or tell Wilbur to fuck off, whatever sounds easier."

"If I didn't have to be so damn polite in this castle I'd have told him to fuck off the minute he walked in those doors, you know."

"Well, now's your chance." Sapnap responded smoothly before taking George in his arms.

Tommy quickly ushered Punz out of the room and waited until he was a fair distance down the hall before shutting the door and blinking rapidly. 

"Fuckin'... What? Why is my brother here?! To visit George of all people - not even me?" He groaned, stomping in annoyance. Sapnap shrugged, setting George on the floor firstly so he didn't stain the bedsheets. He began to gently lift off his shirt to not hurt the inmate before opening his satchel and pulling out a roll of bandages. Using the shirt, he cleared up any blood that had gotten messy, and even managed to break open the handcuffs around George's hands using his sword - not without damaging the sword, but it was worth it.

The injuries weren't too bad, but they were definitely on the ugly side. Messy and burnt, especially his hands. They'd leave scars for sure. 

To prevent infection, Sapnap used his water flask and poured out some water into the injuries one by one, having to watch in dismay as his face scrunched up in pain. It was definitely difficult to watch, especially for Tommy.

Tommy didn't actually help Sapnap out, but he was thankful the other let him stay in the room. He'd feel too awkward having to face Dream with the reasoning that his 'boyfriend' was probably half dead by the looks of it.

Sapnap managed to bandage the injuries before force feeding George a bit of the water to give him a bit of energy. He pulled him up in his arms and sat him neatly within the bed, ensuring he was comfortable and relaxed. If anything, the one thing Sapnap feared the most was losing another friend of his. 

Another was the keyword. 

A few years before all of this, Sapnap had befriended a man a little older than him. Bad. When Sapnap was a Knight in training, Bad coached him, taught him how to defend himself, even taught him everything he knew about medication and how to heal someone who was injured. Bad was definitely a pacifist at heart, despite being a Knight. It humbled him, Sapnap saw how much he adored flowers and pretty things, saying how much more important they were than some silly battle or dumb war. He'd talk about how nature was the most powerful resource, and how the human race would never truly understand how it worked. That's what made it so beautiful. 

Sapnap admired Bad in a few ways, he even found his now-spouses through a small bakery Bad run in his freetime. He had run into the two when they were shopping for some pastries, and Bad quickly helped them all grow a new friendship and soon a relationship.

One day Bad had to participate in a battle just on the outskirts of the city - Sapnap did too. The two bid their trust in eachother and hugged before it all began, and Bad promised Sapnap a free muffin once it was all over. He remembered the moment the battle begun, how Bad hugged him once more before whispering,

" _Remember everything I've taught you."_

It was Sapnap's first battle he'd ever participated in. He was clumsy, and young, and his boyfriends at the time were worried for his safety, but he promised he'd do them, and Bad, proud. 

It wasn't until he found Bad laying lifeless on the post-battlefield that he was truly thankful for every bit of knowledge the older had bestowed upon him. No other human could comprehend the pained screams and cries Sapnap bellowed that day, watching horrified as other guards pulled him back and away from the other's body. His body was trembling, the sight was too much for his young mind, and soon he had to shut it all out for good.

He couldn't lose another friend, not ever. 

The bakery closed soon after, but Sapnap bought the building and turned it into a nicely fashioned home for him and his boyfriends, who he soon married not long afterwards. Sapnap wasn't inherently a religious man, but he definitely didn't choose a best man to have at his wedding. Nobody could replace Bad. Not even Dream. 

Now, things were different. Sapnap became Dream's sworn protector just to protect him. Just to ensure he didn't reach the same fate. Just to protect his best friend. Every time Dream was upset or angry, Sapnap too felt anguished. He might've been a slightly sassy Knight, but his heart was too big to hide sometimes.

Too big. Even newer friends like George meant so much to Sapnap. He couldn't put any of it into words, but he'd do his best to keep them safe and well. 

"Hey, Big S?" Tommy asked, quietly, "You alright? Once you set George on that bed you kinda just... Looked scary. I don't know." He murmured, walking up to Sapnap and peeking at his saddened face. Sapnap quickly looked up, then grinned,

"I'm all good, Tommy. Just... Remembering some stuff, is all. Let's tell Dream of the situation, maybe gather some new plan to help George. We don't have much time, come on!" Sapnap called out, quickly making his way towards the door. He held it open for Tommy, who skipped out lightly, and when he was alone he stared at George for a moment.

No wonder Dream liked him, he was definitely a good-looking guy.

He snorted at his thoughts before quickly following behind Tommy.

* * *

Dream had been anxious the moment the two burst through the door. It definitely took them quite some time, and he had been worried that something bad had occurred.

The first thing he noticed was Sapnap being covered in dried blood, and Tommy's pale face. 

Dream's feet took up from the bedside he had resided at and walked over to the two, worried and confused. Tommy looked to the side, indicating to Sapnap that he should be the better one to talk rather than Tommy. Sapnap took the sign and nodded. 

"Long story." Is all he said, raising his arm to scratch behind his neck in a rather awkward movement.

Dream blinked, "I can tell. What happens?" He asked, expecting a clear and honest answer judging from his curious tone with a slight twinge of sternly-attributed seriousness.

"Loverboy was hurt." Sapnap started, " _Someone_ forgot to lock the cage last night because they were too caught up in ecstasy. Punz - the lead trainer - found out and he got the brunt end of the stick for it."

Dream froze, a wave of guilt suddenly overflowing his entire stature, and he stumbled back a little; shocked.

"I could've sworn I locked it-"

"You didn't." Sapnap sighed, "Dream... This is the second time he's taken the hit for you, you know that right? The reason why you're not in trouble right now is because he's been getting in trouble for you. George is literally laying in an empty servant's room right now, insensate and sore. I had to patch him up and shit - the fact he's completely innocent in all of this and yet our antics are resulting in his pain is just... I don't know, man." Sapnap rambled on, bringing his hand towards his face to cover half of it as he wiped away a bead of sweat.

Dream sat down, his body feeling too heavy from the guilt of it all. Tommy instinctively handed him his full flask of water, and Dream graciously took it. He took a long, sharp swig of the water before setting it aside. Once he swallowed, he coughed slightly, and looked directly towards Sapnap with clouded eyes. 

"I feel terrible." He murmured, glancing aside.

Sapnap snorted in obscure sarcasm as he shifted to lean against the wall, one foot propping himself upwards and his arms crossed. "No wonder. It doesn't matter though, we still have no choice but to pull through with - oh shit, I forgot to mention one thing." Sapnap quickly cut his original sentence off as he pushed his hair out of his eyes, "Wilbur. Wilbur Soot tried to visit George today, but the whole cage shenanegans resulted in him being refused access."

"Wilbur? Why?"

"That's what we're saying." Tommy spoke up, shrugging lightly, "I think, Big Man, that he's trying to like... Cuss George out or some shit. Maybe send a malicious message to him just a few days before his allocated death. He definitely seemed to dislike George quite a bit when I talked to him. Fuckin' weirdo, George seems nice too."

"He is, he really is." Dream confirmed, his voice solemn, "The guy just wanted to live his daily life and suddenly two guards come crashing his parade and bestowing execution on him like it was nothing. You should've seen the anger in his eyes the first time we interacted, it's like I'd made a decision I would regret deeply. And, what do you know? I regret it deeply."

"Okay, we get it, you're in love." Sapnap teased, the tension being lifted slightly, "Other than Wilbur, though, we need to go through with the plan regarding the ball in two days."

Tommy paused. "Ball? In two days? Since when?"

Dream cringed, "Since this morning. It was, uhh... An impulsive decision on my part, and now with the situation George is in, it's a bit of a blow."

"And you didn't bother to tell me, Big Man?! Why do you never tell me the big stuff!?" Tommy yelled, fists clenching in vain.

"Not this again," Dream groaned, his mind being filled with a bitter headache, "It was a mistake, okay? Besides, we can't change anything now. Let's just start to plan our plan."

"God it feels like we're in some shitty action novel." Tommy grumbled.

"You'd be surprised." Dream merely chuckled, and the three gathered around Dream's desk, plenty of papers being scattered around it. He pushed them all aside and pulled out a quill and some ink, preparing to write out a letter to Eret in regards to the plans.

"Okay, first off, we have the ball. In two days," Sapnap begun, arms crossed and eyebrows furrowed in complete conscious focus, "George might not be fit enough to be dressed up nicely enough to convince everyone he's just another noble; unless we find an extra tough strength potion, right?"

"Sapnap, you're a trained medic, aren't you? Do you know how to make healing potions?" Dream questioned, one eyebrow perked up in curiosity.

"Dream, it's illegal to make unauthorised potions-"

"So? It's not hurting anyone. You'll be under my guardianship, so I highly doubt an issue will surface." He shrugged, standing upright to relieve his back.

"I guess that's right. I'm not one to make potions quite often per-se, so this might be either really strong or really weak depending on how it goes." Sapnap rubbed his temple, in attempt to recall whatever goes into a healing potion from scratch. "It also might taste like shit."

Tommy smiled. He'd been quiet for most of the day, especially after seeing such an unsettling scene with George's passed-out body. I mean, he was only sixteen, of course such a sight would leave him on the edge.

"Since I'm in the servant's quarters most mornings - except when I stay overnight at home to meet Tubbo - if you hand me your potion, Big S, I can easily get it to George without anyone questioning anything." Tommy explained, his hands fiddling with the hem of his uniform.

"That'd be pretty useful, thanks, Tommy." Sapnap smiled, patting the younger boy's shoulder respectfully.

"Okay, now that's done, what next?" Dream asked, the feather quill tapping on his bottom lip in anticipation.

"The good thing is that now George is out of the cell it'll be easier to just get him out of the castle without much noise, fingers crossed nobody will spot us, however."

"I'd say we get Techno to do that job," Tommy suggested, "Nobody would think to question the duties of the scariest guard around, you know?"

"That does make sense." Dream agreed, nodding slowly, "But it'd still be suspicious nonetheless."

"I mean, if we can dress George up in the fancy attire, surely an easy excuse could be he's just intoxicated and can't walk properly? With Eret waiting outside for us, we can easily carry him out of the castle and into the carriage, then boom -" Sapnap did jazz hands, "- He's free!"

"Would that work, though? George is fuckin' beaten brittle, his entire body is skinny and bruised. It'd be a bit random to call him intoxicated whenever he's probably exhausted of everything." Tommy explained with a slight shake of his head.

"A little makeup can hide some of the bruises," Dream spoke up, holding a small case of powder he used on his own face, "It won't hurt him, plus the health potion will give him some relief."

"And if someone recognises him?" Sapnap queried.

"We fight." Dream replied casually. Sapnap facepalmed.

"You're an idiot." He joked; though there was a rather unsettled undertone lying within his voice. He hoped Dream wouldn't have to get himself involved in any fighting, despite knowing the Prince could defend himself quite well.

"So, are those the plans now?" Tommy asked, "You sure we won't need a bit of extra help? I mean it's just the five of us - not including George since we're doing this shit for him."

"I have two people in mind that I think could help." Sapnap murmured.

"What? Your husbands?" Tommy tilted his head, curious. Sapnap clapped his hands together triumphantly,

"Just the two! Quackity and Karl!" He cheered, obviously excited at the thought of his two husbands. "I can give them an invitation to the ball, and if things go south they can be some extra assistance."

"Cool! I've not seen Big K and Q in a while," Tommy grinned.

Sapnap smiled softly, happy at the fact he was being given a chance to spend some extra time with his husbands - with them looking nice, too!

Dream hummed, "What about Wilbur?" He asked.

"What about him?"

"I mean, he's a certified brewer. The only one in town. There's a large chance the King - my father - will invite him to the ball. And considering he wanted to see George today, there's a large chance he might dedicate the time to trying to stop us, or something."

"Come on, Big Man," Tommy scoffed, "Him? Against all of us? No chance. We'll outnumber him easily."

"Okay..." Dream trailed off, still unconvinced. Sapnap placed his other hand on Dream's shoulder reluctantly,

"Dude, we've got this. George will be okay." Sapnap gestured behind him, "We've got enough time to plan stuff out, two days, and we can write a letter to Eret to let him know. Eret won't let us down either."

Dream stretched out his arms with a small, tired groan, before hunching over the desk with the quill still encapsulated within his grasp. He nodded slowly, before dipping the quill into the ink and ensuring the page was of good quality before looking at Tommy,

"Tell Techno the plans. And you," He then looked at Sapnap, "Invite your husbands to the ball. Let them know they're going a little undercover, I'll stay here to write this letter."

"I'll see to it." Sapnap nodded, turning around and heading to the door.

"You got it, Big Man!" Tommy cheered, following behind Sapnap closely. The two walked out of the room, and it wasn't until Dream heard the click of the door shutting that he finally began to write a long, detailled letter of the plans to Eret.

He couldn't help but smile, things were finally looking up. 

* * *

Sapnap had taken the carriage home, he owned one after all. Some guards and servants questioned him as to why he was leaving so early in the day, but he could quickly say he had been dismissed without further pushing on their part.

The sky was a slight grey today, hiding the sun from sight. It would most definitely rain later on, but Sapnap didn't mind necessarily, as long as he got to see his husbands that's all that mattered to him. 

Quackity was definitely a jokester, he tried to make humour out of anything and everything he saw. Whether it be teasing to full on comedy routines, Quackity knew how to make anyone burst into loud laughter.

Karl was similar, but definitely a more hyperactive person. His jokes were majorly at the expense of teasing or annoying someone else, though he really meant no harm. He hates feeling left out of stuff, so perhaps the whole 'operation: escape' would make him happy.

Then there was Sapnap. Definitely the middle man, casual but also quick to tease; and how he loved his husbands to bits.

Pulling the reigns of the horse back, signifying a halt, he hopped off the horse and tied it to a fence post just outside his home. It wasn't much, just an old store building with two stories, but it was definitely on the expensive side in comparison to other homes - being in castle grounds for most of the day resulted in good income, especially as the Prince's sworn protector.

Sapnap gently caressed the horse's mane before stepping back and twirling on his heel to face the house once more. He sucked in an intense breath before walking into the colourful front garden (of which Karl liked to nickname 'party island') and patted the door with his fist.

A few muffled sounds got closer to the door, Sapnap just about able to hear them. 

_"You can answer the door."_

_"Fuck you Karlos, I'm not answering the goddamn door!"_

_"I'm not doing it - you know I get awkward in front of visitors!"_

_"Alright, fine, fine! I'll answer!"_

A few shuffling noises were heard as the indoor padlock was twisted before the door slightly opened, a head turned away from Sapnap to look at the other person behind. 

"There you go? You happy now-"

"Sapnap!" The boy behind cried happily, and the original head shot around like a bullet. He stared for a moment before his eyes lit up happily and he opened the door completely for the Knight. Sapnap quickly recognised them, Quackity had answered the door and Karl remained behind, watching.

"Hi, guys." Sapnap smiled gently before Quackity's hand shot out to pull him inside.

"Dude, it's not like you to come home early? Karl's been whining all day. Come on! Sit down! This is your home too, y'know!" Quackity ushered as he shut the door behind Sapnap, ignoring the annoyed whine Karl made in protest.

Sapnap laughed awkwardly, "Yeah, Dream dismissed me quite earlier than usual. I need to talk about that with you two."

"Were you fired? - Sap, your armor! You're covered in blood!" Karl shrieked, stepping over and using his oversized sleeve to attempt to wipe off any bloodstains. Sapnap gently pushed him aside, since he didn't want the other to dirty themselves.

"Wasn't fired, don't worry! And the blood is uh... You know George? The dude I've been trying to assist in helping escape? It's his, I was patching up some of his injuries today, it's not as severe as you think, I assure you, Karl." He defended, a hand raised.

"That makes sense, I guess." Karl murmured, continuing to stare at the blood, unsettled. Quackity quickly shoved him aside to be in Sapnap's field of view.

"Hey-!" Karl cried. 

"Well, Sap!" He began, "What're you gonna tell us, hmm?" He asked, leaning against Sapnap's chest playfully before Karl was quick to pull him back from a hug from behind.

"God, you two are like children." Sapnap snickered, he slowly took his armor off to reveal his basic workclothes underneath - dirty and smelly, and the two scrunched up their noses as he did so, "Anywho, there's a ball in two days. I'm inviting you two to go with me, BUT-!"

"A ball? Jeez dude, ask me out for dinner first!" Quackity joked, as Karl's giggles followed.

"BUT! you two are going to be like... Extra help. During this ball we plan to get George out of the castle, and we need as much help as we can get. Play it cool while you're there, just stick with me if you want, don't make a scene. Please, I'm counting on you both to be decent help." Sapnap pleaded, the desperation deep in his voice.

Karl blinked a few times, thinking, "Can we still have fun while we're there?" He asked, doing puppy eyes that Sapnap just couldn't refuse.

He groaned, "Fine, you can, but just be careful alright? Pick out something nice - no, I'll buy you both suits if you'd like."

"Ooh! Cool!" Karl cheered, fiddling with his sleeves happily. Quackity grinned childishly.

"I'm gonna get so many girlfriends while we're there, watch me!" He said triumphantly, resulting in a slap at the back of his head from Karl. Sapnap merely laughed before pulling his two husbands into a tight embrace.

"I'm counting on you both to not let me down." He murmured into the hug as Karl and Quackity both snickered mischievously.

"No promises, but we'll do our best. Right, Karlos?"

"Right!"

Sapnap sighed happily. Oh, how he loved them both despite their crazy ways. Karl then pushed him away from the hug, his face curled up in distaste. 

"Go get a bath, Sap, you smell like shit. Quackmeister and I will clean your armor."

"Who said I'd help?" Quackity protested.

"You don't need to, you can cook dinner instead." Karl sneered.

"Fine! My foreign cuisine will be much better than the stuff you cook anyways!"

Sapnap walked off, leaving the two to argue about random stuff. He got himself washed up, and by the time nightfall had dawned upon the three, there'd already almost been a house fire and a murder in the kitchen alone. 

But hey, he still loved them. 

* * *

Tommy was staying overnight in the castle, so nobody questioned why Dream decided to sit in the servant's quarters late into the evening. Tommy had snuck him into the room George lay within, leaving some fresh bread and water at the sidetable next to the bed; George didn't wake up from it.

When Dream first set eyes on George's terrible complexion, he almost started crying there and then. 

He was pale - if you could get any paler than before - and his cheeks were a rosy pink. Small splatters of purple and blue dusted his face and hands. Don't even get him started on how saddening George looked with countless bandages covering his upper body and wrists.

Tommy decided to slip out of the room without a word, giving Dream some privacy to grieve over the state of his lover. 

Once the door shut behind Tommy, the room was dimly lit by the singular candelight lamp. It was peaceful, the smell of lavender filled the room, and Dream felt at ease with the situation now. Instinctively, he slowly reached over and carefully placed George's cold hand within his own, then squeezed. 

As if on cue, George's eyes fluttered open, almost too quickly to be a normal wakening. His head twisted towards Dream's direction, and he couldn't help but manage a quiet, helpless smile. 

"Was pretending to be asleep," he murmured tiredly, "Didn't want to waste energy on... Anyone else." his voice croaked out, slowly curling his fingers around Dream's palm.

"How are you feeling?" Dream asked, hushed. His concern was evident on his face, and he leaned closer to George to get a better look. Even when in pain and ill, he still somehow managed to look ethereal; whimsical, almost. Something that took Dream's breath away, like it was a gift he just couldn't give away to someone else.

George broke eye contact, slowly turning his head up to the ceiling with a small grunt in pain. "Tired. Sore. Hungry, think."

"You're hungry?" Dream whispered, taking hold of the bread with his free hand. George nodded, attempting to sit up before stumbling on his own arms and falling back down onto the bed miserably. Dream pulled his hand away from George's before breaking bits of the bread off. "Here, open your mouth. Eat it slowly, don't hurt yourself." He advised, and George complied. Dream placed small rips of bread in his mouth and he carefully chewed.

When the bread was done, George murmured out, "That was awkward."

"I know, but I wouldn't make you intentionally hurt yourself just to avoid being embarrassed."

"Mm. I know." He agreed, quietly. His eyes glanced over at Dream, full of admiration. The Prince couldn't help but fall deeper in love with the man, he wanted to do everything with him, maybe even rule the country someday with him.

"What's on your mind, George?" He asked, his voice gentle.

"Not much. Three days."

"Three days." Dream repeated, his stomach filling with anxiety, "Are you scared?"

"A little." He responded, his eyelids dropping, "Don't want to die. Too young, you know? Barely had a chance at life. Unfair."

"We've got a good plan to help you out, you know," Dream assured, placing a hand on George's cheek gently, swooning as the other pushed his face further into the touch, "You'll be fine. Safe."

"I trust you." George nodded, batting his eyelids slowly, "Please keep your promise."

"Promise?"

"Promise you'll give me a chance at life," George explained, his throat going dry as he held back afraid tears from dropping. "Too scared, I just-" He choked on his own breath. Dream used his thumb to caress the man's cheek softly, wiping away any tears.

"I'll never break my promise, George, I'm an honest man." Dream managed a smile as George chuckled sadly. It was a miserable sight, but at least he was hopeful.

"Want to be a farmer." George began to ramble. "Cows and stuff. Cows are cute. And.. Own a cat. Cats are nice."

Dream simply listened, he knew George was falling in an out of sleep, and was talking about random stuff in his head. There was something so depressing about all of it - George was talking about his future, if it ever comes. There was something so melancholic about George just wanting to live, it was heartbreaking for Dream. If he knew any better, he'd break down into tears with the sleepy man.

"Uhm... Cottage, too. Mum used to live in one, growing up. Said I'd love it. Maybe I'd find her cottage and live in it. Who knows."

He kept going, though his speech became rather slurred. 

"Nd... Want to, get away from... Royal stuff. No more castle. Would keep you though."

His eyes were fully shut now, his breathing soft and sharp. 

"Cuz... I love you."

And there you have it, he was tranced into sleep. Dream pulled his hand away from his cheek and felt his stomach go warm. He really was so obviously in love with George, it was unfair.

He spent a few more minutes admiring the man he'd fallen in love with, before standing up and putting out the candlelight at the side. With a slow lean, he moved down and kissed George's cheek, brushed his hair out of his eyes, and began to make his way to the door. 

When arriving back in his own bedroom, he least expected to already find a responding letter from Eret to the one he'd sent out earlier that day. Picking it up off the desk, he set it under his pillow. He'd check it in the morning.

For now, he required enough sleep to make it through the next two days without anymore impulsive decisions. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY BELATED CHRISTMAS TO THOSE WHO CELEBRATE IT!! AND HAPPY NEW YEAR ITS THE 31ST OF DECEMBER RIGHT NOW WOOOOOO LETS GOOOOOOOOO fuck 2020 tbh that year shitty as hell  
> 2020 more like the year that shall not be named goteem
> 
> Btw this wasnt beta read bc there was too mucj and i couldn't b bothered bc its 1:20am when im writing this rn


	8. Eigth Era

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> George is "interrogated" by Techno on behalf of his cage being unlocked; Punz waiting for a response expectantly and eventually being threatened with firing if he were to be so rough again against orders.  
> Dream reads the response letter from Eret, discovering a huge part revolving around Wilbur, and suddenly feeling very confident in himself.  
> Tommy and Tubbo spend some time together outside the castle.  
> Sapnap, Karl and Quackity take a small trip around the town, meeting a fairly disliked face along the way who behaves rather suspiciously towards them.  
> Dream goes to visit George, but a (clearly new) servant attempts to stop him. A sleepy Tommy comes to the rescue.  
> And, finally, George and Dream meet up; both non-verbally terrified for the dawn to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This almost took a MONTH to write dhmu
> 
> Edit: 6626 words lets goooo

**_huit_ **

* * *

George had been forcefully awakened quite earlier than per usual - but he had gotten plenty of rest throughout the day before, so it wasn't necessarily unusual.

The aggravated face of Punz overwhelmed his blurry vision as his eyes squinted and shut in and out of sleep, the deprivation of exhaustion fulfilling his body from the feet and upwards.

Reluctant, he allowed his body to be fulfilled with the energy he required for the day ahead, feeling his bones creak and crack as he attempted to pathetically stretch his arms out. Punz stood, towering above him, before he finally pulled the slightly bloodied bedsheets away from George. He shivered as the cold air hit his chest. 

"Up," He ordered, harshly, "You're being interrogated today." 

George groaned, pushing all his bodyweight into his arms so he could find the strength to push himself upwards, though it was definitely a faulty effort at his part. 

He wouldn't openly claim his exhaustion, rather, the pained whines did it for him. Unfortunately, Punz didn't seem to care, for he had better things to deal with. 

"Get up." He repeated, taking a grip of George's shoulder - not too rough, he was somewhat considerate. His voice was definitely rough, he sounded stressed, and George was most definitely not trying to get himself into any extra trouble.

A thought lingered in his mind. Interrogation? Again? Of course it had to happen - the thought was so incredibly endearing. Not. George grimaced, unsure of how it'll go; surely they wouldn't hurt him again? Not after yesterday?

He swung his legs over the side of the bed with one tough leap of his lower body, ignoring any twinges of pain that hissed throughout. The legs shook a little for a moment, but he got himself up in one attempt with the help of Punz's grip on him.

For a moment time was still, and the grip on his shoulder had left. He felt like he was flying. Flying downwards, that is. 

Oh, he must've stood up too quickly. 

He stumbled back down onto the bed as his head filled with pooling heat of blood, his skin going shades paler before he dazed back towards Punz with a small apology mumbled beneath his breath. 

Punz sighed, clearly not wanting to put up with anymore, "Right. Up again, slower this time, I guess." He guided, moving his hands under George's arms and pulling him back up to his feet with careful precision, George appreciated it but of course he wouldn't admit that outwardly, especially not to someone who probably hated the sound of his voice already.

With a few stumbling feet, George got back up on his toes and murmured a soft thanks to Punz, who didn't react. Instead, Punz reached a hand into his satchel and pulled out some makeshift handcuffs that had been crafted out of wood with a metal chain holding them together. 

"Turn around," He ordered with little remorse, "These might hurt, don't fuck around too much when you put them on."

George braced himself, turning around slowly and feeling as Punz grabbed both his arms, yanking them behind his sore back, and clipped the wood around his wrists. He already felt his shoulders go stiff, the position that of a rather awkward stance - especially for someone in constant pain after suffering through hell for a total week by now.

He turned back around after the guard nudged his shoulder, then the two exited the small room and began to walk down the hallway. George stared at the floor, there was small blood splatters leading down the hallway, which he had easily come to the conclusion that they had been from himself. 

Someone really should've cleared that up by now...

Punz remained close behind George, keeping his walk slow so the other could take his time without tiring himself out. It wasn't something he'd think of doing, but he was advised to give the man as much ease as possible to prevent him from breaking down again - according to Techno, it was common for people who've been through hell for a short period of time to have mental short-circuits under any sort of pressure. Punz felt a little guilty for how rough he had been, though it was a whim of the moment - he acted through his instinct, not through his heart.

They walked in total, overbearing silence. It was rather awkward, in which George would stop for a moment and Punz would almost slam his heavy armor into the man's back on accident. It happened a few times, and George heard a few aggravated "Fuck..."s each time. Punz would have to deal with it; he made no effort to speed himself up.

They'd walk past multiple curious guards, peering to which they openly denied any explanation as to where they were going. Sometimes, if Punz knew them, he'd mutter something about business to them. George didn't necessarily care about where they were going, he dreaded it enough to let it linger within his mind. 

Soon, they stopped abruptly at a peculiar door with metallic bolts all around it. The door was steel, with slightly dented marks and a small sign that said 'Interrogatorio' at the center of it, sitting directly at George's eye level. Even with knowing Spanish, anyone could easily deduce that meant interrogation.

Punz gently slapped George's back expectantly, "Door's open, step inside. I'll wait out here - don't fuck shit up, me and Techno cancelled training today for this." He said sternly, the hand on George's back pushing him forward and through the door with a slight heave.

Techno? George asked himself. It was most peculiar to him. 

His suspicions were confirmed once he walked into the room and his eyes lay on the half-boar sitting across a lengthy wooden table with lots of pages scattered about and a dimly lit candle to his left. The walls were all stone, with cracks spreading along the areas they could find themselves in. There was a soft, but audible, echo that vocoded throughout the room once George was sent inside the room, and he felt slightly tense. 

"Hullo."

Techno sat, his fingers crossed over his mouth and his shoulders bent forward in anticipation. His eyes lay dead on Punz, who was behind George, and he sent out a small cough to begin conversation. 

"You may leave." Is all he breathed. 

Immediately, Punz did as told, letting go of his grip on George and he pat his shoulder casually, mumbling something that the other couldn't quite catch. He stepped away, and outside of the room, then shut the door behind him with a loud bang - unintentionally, the metal just did it for him. 

For a moment there was a deafening silence that seeped throughout the now majorly empty room, Techno's stern eyes binding fire into George's sleepy ones. He coughed, clearing his throat to catch George's utmost attention as he spoke out.

"Don't be so skittish. I'm not going to beat you blunt like some other guards would." He pushed his chair back with a loud squeak following, as he stood up to begin pacing around the room. "I've been interviewed like this before, when I was arrested on suspicions for anarchism. It was pretty overwhelming, and the beatings were what dimmed all my hope into what you see now."

Techno was right, all George could see was the outer shell of a man once so active and alive, so introverted and wise, all destroyed into a rubble of a weaponry, forced to serve for something he disagrees with in order to breathe another day. It was a sad situation, they both knew that. 

George was worried he'd endure the same if the King changed his mind about the executions. 

"And you," Techno spoke up yet again, "You just make it harder on yourself to get out of here. I heard about what happened, with the cage being opened. Tell me, George, who visits your cage?"

George froze. 

"I won't tell, I'm not some traitorous freak alike my own brother."

"Dream. Prince Dream." George blurted out immediately, "He visits me every night. We... We're close. I think, although I am unsure if it will last."

"So you're an honest man. Good." Techno nodded, humming softly, "I already knew of such. The prince isn't that of a sly man, if it weren't for me guarding the dungeons in the shadows you'd have been caught with him most likely."

"Truly?"

"Truly. I'm on your side, I have decided." He spoke, his lips curling into a small smile - one George had never seen. It was trustworthy, kind, honest. It looked like a smile that someone who was once so confident and happy would bore, something so pleasing to the heart that it almost broke George when the reality of what Techno had become dwelled down upon him.

"Why? You're... So kind, and yet you seem to be so secluded, so silent." George questioned, reluctant. His hands fiddled, his wrists sore, and his eyes avoided all contact with the man ahead as he asked.

"Why? Well." Techno shrugged, pacing back and forth, ruminating. "I suppose it's a natural instinct. You're in a situation I was once in, so dreadful. To prevent such a belief from going extinct, the art of anarchy needs to prevail. Perhaps not from my own doing, but from someone who's recieved the brunt of monarchy. Someone with the freedom to tell that tale to those who are uneducated. I believe you could do that; do what I couldn't quite."

It was a large amount to digest for George, especially with so much on his mind beforehand. However, he nodded slowly. 

"I believe I'll do that when I'm free. Thank you, Techno. If anything, you're more trustworthy than Dream is at this point."

He snorted, a grunt following in distaste, "I'm not surprised. The prince is a little too cocky for his own well being - he'll get himself killed by a monster before he can even fathom the idea of fighting for his country. It's why monarchies will never thrive, too obscured by their own power to actually use it."

"Perhaps." George agreed, but a pang of hurt rose in his chest, "Though he is brave. I mean, he's risking everything to save me. I believe he wishes no harm onto anyone."

"That's what you'll believe."

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing." Techno merely replied. He strolled over to George and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. George noticed how cold his touch was, how hollow the attempt of affection came to be. It was melancholic. "Do what I couldn't. I believe in you."

"You have my word." He smiled at Techno. The half-boar stood George up and then walked to the door side-by-side.

"If Punz says anything, just say I threatened you with something unspeakable. Like... Ripping a pickaxe through your teeth or something. He'd buy that."

George nodded, grimacing at the empty threat. "Yeah. Got it."

Techno opened the door and walked out first, George not far behind him. Punz stood there, waiting. His head jerked up in curiosity as he saw the two depart from the room, and stood up straight. 

"Well?"

"Well." Techno began, stepping dangerously close to Punz. "I'd advise you to refrain from dungeon duties from now on - stick to training Tubbo. You're too rough on prisoners. If I catch you even near the damn dungeons I'll kick you out of the castle without the king even needing to add a puny little word in. Got it?"

Punz froze on the spot, bewildered. He slowly stood back, then nodded anxiously, "Y- Yeah. Yeah... You uh, you got it, chief." He saluted in attempt to lighten the mood, but to no avail.

Techno straightened himself, then turned to George and walked past him. George felt his armor brush against him, and Techno stood still for a moment, before continuing to walk back into the room.

"Seeya."

Silence ensued between the knight and the inmate before Punz scoffed in obscure aggravation. 

"What a dick. Okay, I'll take you back to your room at the servant's quarters. I guess."

Punz lead George back to the original room, a looming silence laying above their heads as they walked. In which George felt the anxiety of the next day fill him up from the head down, but he remained composed in case Punz were to notice. 

Eventually, Punz lightly shoved him into the room, gave him the cue to not leave or there'd be consequences. Of course, George would abide by the rules. He had no reason not to, for today. 

When the knight finally left, George sat on the bed. His back hurt like a bitch, the burning pain being set alight once his posture curved ever so slightly. He looked at his arms, the skin being a deathly pale. 

How could someone of such divinity love a man so sickly he looks like that of a ghost?

Truly preposterous to George, he couldn't fathom it completely.

Rummaging around his own body, feeling for injuries and specific spots that seemed to twinge with displeasure, George encountered a solid surface sitting in his front pant pocket. He reached in, hesitantly pulling out two small, glass potions. 

A label was attatched. 

' _Take these. Health and Regeneration. They'll do your body a favor. - Techno_ ' 

One potion was a light red, normally that of a health potion, and the other was a little darker - namely the regeneration one. 

Thoughts raced; when did Techno place these in his pocket? He knew the man was sly, but was he really that sly? Perhaps he had done it during his monologue about anarchism?

To avoid stalling more than he already had, George took the corks off the top of the potions and quickly downed them individually with two gulps. 

He felt better almost instantly, the life returning, his skin colour returning, the cuts and bruises quickly beginning to fade. There was no bin, or garbage area, so George placed the empty potion bottles under his bed pillow and then lay down once more.

His eyes drifted off to sleep, expectant.

* * *

_'Good afternoon, Dear Prince,_

_It's in utmost pleasure that I am writing to you as of right now, and the plans seem to be good for my schedule. Of course, nonetheless, I'd adjust my schedule anyways for such a project alike this one._

_I do hope you are in good spirits? You and the other gentlemen must be working hard to stay under the radar. My, I'm impressed._

_I'll be waiting outside the castle for you with a carriage at 8pm. If you disguise George in that of a masquerade outfit then he should be fine, just keep close eyes on him throughout the ball and hold out until 8pm._

_When the grandfather clock strikes 8pm, head outside to the carriage and settle George in there. You can come too, though I am unsure if it's a safe idea or not._

_As I am writing this, I just remembered - I must bestow important information to you. Wilbur Soot is attending the ball, he plans to use me as a way to betray you. He believes that he can find a way to kill George, or to alert the guards of his escape. He knows so much, but I'll do my best to prevent him from acting on it._

_Good luck, Eret.'_

Dream folded the letter and set it aside, taking a deep breath. Damn Wilbur, always ruining his plans.

A surge of confidence overwhelmed his stature as he realised Eret wasn't planning to betray him, he was planning to betray Wilbur. That was definitely something to be grateful for.

This was... Reverse betrayal, to Dream. Something unique, something special, something good. His thoughts trinkled down into his chest as he felt warm, fuzzy, and alight. He stood up from his desk and balled his fist, gritting out a few cheerful cries before spinning around enthusiastically. 

"Let's go!" He cheered, to nobody at all, as he was utterly alone in his room.

His hands danced back to the letter to reread, confirming what he had first read was actually there, engraved onto hopeful white paper. His voice echoed a shaky, thankful sigh of relief as he paced back and forth to evaluate all there was left to do. 

The plan was ultimately set, they'd get George a disguise to wear during the ball - Dream could let him borrow some makeup - and when the clock struck 8pm they'd make a rush to the carriage with few interruption. It would definitely be tricky to avoid the swoons of other royals looking for a spouse on Dream's behalf, though with a casual hand swiping their affection away it shouldn't be too much of a troublesome ordeal.

If guards caught them, Sapnap's spouses could quickly create a form of distraction - perhaps comedy. It would buy them time.

If Wilbur caught them, all Dream needed to do was get rid of him. The idea shuddered within his mind, but if it was for the safety of George then so be it.

That was the overall plan; anything in between would probably need to be improvised or thought up on the spot. Dream was a smart man, he could definitely do that effortlessly.

For now, he needed to get George a disguise of sorts. He had body armor, stuff to put pressure on George's wounds all while a pretty suit and tie could cover them up. 

He stepped to his personal wardrobe, flicking between robes and shirts of many colours - the most significant one being green, as it was his favourite - and studied each suit one by one.

He thought for a moment, questioning whether or not green would fit George. He studied the inmate's face in his mind carefully. Brown hair, amber eyes, and pale skin.

Blue. Blue was definitely the right colour for George.

Blue, of all things tranquil. Blue, of all things to bestow peace to which it rested in Dream's heart. Blue, of all things moody and sappy, but also bringing out the ease of the night sky all at once. It suited George, he was the embodiment of the colour blue in a certain way. A blue, with speckles of daring red - dangerous lighting that suited his personality well.

Dream scurried through the clothes, picking out a navy blue suit with red buttons, a white blouse sitting beneath, and a red and white striped tie. It looked well made, the fabric was rather soft, and although it may be a bit big on George it still had his name metaphorically written all over it. It was almost as if this suit was created for George.

Okay, a bit too lovey dovey, but you get the point.

The hems of the suit were decorated with golden metal all down the edges, tied down with royal blue thread. It was definitely prince worthy attire, George would feel like a king if he were to wear it. 

Dream needed to keep himself in check; George was an anarchist, he didn't necessarily want to look so flamboyant and exquisite. Nonetheless, it was just a one time thing anyways, it didn't necessarily matter.

He needed something to cover most of George's face - something like glasses, or a mask. Dream rummaged around in search, he couldn't give his own mask considering it was... Well, his own, and he preferred to keep it untouched. Instead, he came across some white goggles that had sunblockers built into their glass. The sides that small sapphires engraved around the white, giving it a prestigious look. Dream smiled, setting it atop the blue suit he had laid on his bed with a satisfied grin. George was all set. He could bring the clothes to the other tomorrow, before the ball - he was sure not many people would guard a prisoner, considering that there was a low chance of escaping with that many people in the main room of the castle.

Straightening out the clothes with a firm brush of his hand, he smiled softly at his own work. George would look perfect, it was almost pathetic how in love Dream was with him. He'd get him out, he'd run away and live on a farm with George and live a happy life. Maybe even live in a cottage; whatever George wanted, Dream would grant.

He'd miss the castle, obviously. He'd miss his sister, and her mischievous antics that she'd do usually around the dinner table. He'd miss Tommy. He'd miss Sapnap.

Oh, how he'd miss Sapnap.

Don't get him wrong, they'd probably keep in close contact, but the thought of not seeing Sapnap most days a week dwelled heavily on his shoulders. Someone he grew up with, someone he loved like a close friend. A brother. He felt guilty, he knew Sapnap had a fear of losing his friends and his loved ones, but he also wanted Dream to be happy. 

There was a sad truth to the whole thing. But as long as Sapnap wanted Dream to be happy, there was nothing more to say.

Sometimes sacrifices need to be made, and that's okay. To achieve happiness, and a simplistic lovelife, Dream needed to sacrifice everything. His title, his crown, his best friend.

They weren't gone forever though, he'd still see Sapnap again after tomorrow. 

Right?

* * *

"Tubbo, catch!"

Tommy tossed a disc to Tubbo, frisbee style. Tubbo just barely caught it with a swoop of his hands, and he twirled it around in his fingers with a grin. 

"Got it." He replied, casual. Tommy snorted, before turning to look at him straightforward. Tommy walked closer, nudging him with his elbow gently and pointed towards a jukebox.

They were just outside the castle, in the public gardens. There were many types of extravagant roses, tulips and poppys scattered around the green land that lay around them. It was peaceful at the most. They had gotten permission from Techno to go here.

In the middle, just in front of a fountain, lay a bench. It was fairly run down, with bits of oak broken off at the edges, though it was a piece of history, and Tommy and Tubbo loved to spend time there.

A jukebox sat beside the bench, it was clean and shined on the daily. It glimmered in the sunlight, almost begging the two teenagers to use it. Tubbo glanced at his disc in hand, then back at the jukebox, and grinned. He walked over, slotted the disc inside, and slumped down onto the seat happily.

Tommy was soon to follow, he sat beside Tubbo, humming along to the soft tune that began to play around them.

"What tune is this?" Tubbo asked, having not heard this one before, "I like it."

Tommy blinked. "Mellohi." He replied nonchalantly, shifting closer to the edge of the bench to gaze at his run-down shoes.

"Mellohi." Tubbo repeated, nodding slowly to the tune. "It's pretty good! I preferred Cat, but Mellohi is good."

"Mellohi is better than Cat!" Tommy retorted, lightheartedly, "If you weren't my best friend I'd find that offensive."

Tubbo snorted, shrugging, "Oh well. You're still offended."

"That's true, but I make exceptions for you, you know."

A comfortable silence fell between them as they listened to the gentle tune playing through their eager ears. Tubbo swayed to the beat, as Tommy began to hum it under his breath. It was nice, they liked the environment around them.

Tubbo looked up at Tommy, pausing for a moment, "Are you sure you'll be alright tomorrow? I know Dream says you're not allowed to get involved in the action part but I know you more than he does, Tommy."

Tommy snorted, "Don't worry about it, Big T. I'm not going to do anything stupid, I just need to stay close by Wilbur to see what he does. I'll be fine."

Tubbo went silent, before he looked at the jukebox. It had finished its tune, going dead silent. The air hung heavy around them, before Tubbo let out a long, reluctant sigh. 

"Okay. I trust you. Please don't do anything stupid without me?"

"Of course I'd never, Tubbo! You're my best friend."

They both burst out laughing before the jukebox restarted Mellohi.

* * *

Bustling feet scurrying all around, the loud chatter ringing in the back of his ears as Sapnap strolled through the long market streets in search of some fancy attire to purchase for his husbands; who were dragging themselves along behind him reluctantly.

The sky had gone from bright blue to a slightly more purple hue, to which it indicated the markets were soon to shut down for the day. They'd all be closed tomorrow, as the ball was scheduled in such short notice.

Many stalls contained small pastries and treats, muffins and sweets, candies and all things galore for a sweet tooth to eat. If Sapnap didn't know any better, he'd be spending most of his money on the treats instead. Rather, he kept his health first, and instead bought both Karl and Quackity a chocolate muffin each - to which they both hummed out a 'thank you!' and munched away. Sapnap couldn't help but chuckle, they were so childish at times.

It wasn't a very long walk before they had ventured through the other side of the market and into the town square, where more businesses surrounded them in slightly run-down buildings off to the sides. A specific clothes shop stood out significantly to the rest, and Sapnap pointed to it before he began to hastily walk over. Karl and Quackity had to keep up via light jogging, yelling out lighthearted complaints to their husband.

Upon arrival at the oak wooden door, Sapnap pushed it heavily and a bell rang out from the inside to indicate a new customer had come in. A half-fox hybrid perked up from a sewing station that was, clearly, very untidy, and stood up immediately to greet the three newcomers into his shop.

The shop was filled from head-to-toe in many different clothing items; ranging from hats, boots, shirts, bottoms, you name it. They had it all. It was all nailed to the walls or hung on clothing hangers that sat on long, colour coordinated racks for each specific item. It was almost as if you'd get lost in the store without even thinking.

Sapnap's eyes settled on the shopkeeper walking towards them with a cheerful grin, "Hi! Name's Fundy. How can I help 'ya?" he asked. His voice was quite high for the average man, but it was a nice voice to listen to.

"I'm Sapnap. These are my husbands," He gestured behind him, "Karl and Quackity."

He paused for a moment, letting the two in question wave and greet the shopkeeper, before beginning to talk again.

"I'm looking for suits. As you know, the ball's on tomorrow, and we've all been invited. I'm just here to see what kinds of suits you have."

"Oh?" Fundy replied, a head tilt following in tow, "I got just the stuff for you! Follow me, I have plenty of suits!"

He scurried off, the three following behind hastily.

Fundy lead them down to a long rack, overwhelmed in many styles of suits - all fabrics, colours, shapes and sizes galore. It was like a suit haven, if you will. Fundy looked almost proud of it all, his tail swaying back and forth and his ears twitching slightly as he grinned proudly at the clothes he had made.

"Here we are, fellas!" He spoke, pulling out a random suit. "These are all the best quality suits you can get in town! Even the King commissioned me at some point."

Sapnap gazed at all the suits, noticing one that was a bright orange. It had black ribbon trimming the edges, with small rubies etched within the thread at the cuff of the sleeves and as the buttons. It looked almost royal, it was perfect.

Sapnap got lots of money from working as the Prince's sworn protector - Dream even gave him money as a gift at random - so price wasn't inherently a worry.

He grabbed the suit, pulling it off the rack and showing it to Fundy, who nodded in agreement. 

"Hmm. Yes. I'd say that suits you well, indeed! Looks great, it works well with your black hair. Maybe not the bandana, however. I can see if I can find you, perhaps, a fedora or such to go with the suit. You need bottoms to go with it? Also, the tie is in the left pocket."

Sapnap reached into the left pocket, pulling out a long, well knit, amber tie. It had a metallic gold colour to it, shining off any light that snuck into the room like a thief.

He placed it back inside, sighing in content. " I'll take the suit. It looks great." He spoke, before looking at Quackity and Karl.

Karl was nodding enthusiastically, "Looks great! Can't wait to see you in it!"

"Sheesh, Karl, ask him out to dinner first!"

"Excuse you," Karl glared at Quackity, "But I already did!"

"Okay, Okay," Sapnap raised a free hand up in defence, "Relax. You two still need to choose suits, remember?" He suggested as the two looked back and forth between him and each other.

"Oh yeah, we do." The two said in unison, before turning to the rack of clothing to decide on what ones would suit them best.

Sapnap turned to Fundy with a sigh, "Sorry."

Fundy simply chuckled, "No worries! Doesn't bother me at all, I like the chatter."

Time passed by in comfortable silence. The loud screeching of hangers being pushed along clothing racks and the angry hissing between Karl and Quackity over who's suit would look nicer kept Sapnap at ease internally. Despite the amount of stress he'd put himself under tomorrow, it felt nice to have just a fun day out with his lovers. A change of pace. 

Karl chose his suit first. It was multicoloured; the most vibrant colour being purple at the chest as the sleeves changed from greens to blues and then to orange and pinks. It gave a childish aura, whilst the buttons were a bright green with little purple swirls in the middle of them. There was no real bling to the suit, but Karl didn't necessarily need any riches to make himself look good, Sapnap thought.

The tie was all striped different colours, all the same as the sleeves. The suit came with a golden monocle that Karl definitely looked goofy wearing, but it was perfect for him nonetheless.

Quackity chose his not long afterwards. His was a simplistic dark, almost royal, blue, with white thread and ribbons all around the cuffs and the hems. The buttons were refined quartz, they shimmered and sparkled much more than any other jewel in the entire store. It suited him perfectly, the colours complimented his black hair and slightly tanned skin.

The tie was plain white, a singular sapphire sitting at the stopping point where the top of the tie shifted to the bottom at the crease, making it look formally put together despite having always been there.

When the two picked out their suits, Sapnap turned to Fundy and paid for all three. It was a damn heavy price, especially for his and Quackity's considering theirs had jewels sewn into them, but it was definitely worth it. Sapnap carried the bag that had the suits carefully placed into to avoid creasing.

They bid their goodbyes to fundy, who happily nodded and waved them off. They walked out of the store, Karl immediately bumping into someone clumsily and having to profusely apologise. 

"Sorry, sorry - uh, Wilbur?"

Sapnap and Quackity froze, turning around to look at who Karl bumped into. He was right, Wilbur stood there, a sly smirk resting on his face. His hands were sitting behind his back, and his hair covered his eyes slightly as he looked down to make eye contact with specifically Sapnap.

"My apologies," He said, smoothly, "I should've been looking where I was going. Oh, it happens I was probably doing the same as you were, perhaps?"

Wilbur's voice was smooth, and especially cold. There was something bittersweet laced in between the words that the three felt disdainful towards in such aggravation. To which Wilbur simply laughed at their reactions.

"I mean, buying suits, seeing as you three won't make conversation. I'll be seeing to it." He turned his back to them, walking up the steps of the shop and readying himself to enter. He froze for a moment, his head twisting over his shoulder to yet again make deadset eye contact with Sapnap.

"See you tomorrow." He grinned, stepping inside without another word. Quackity was about to yell something in anger, before Karl and Sapnap were quick to shut him up.

"Just ignore him, he's not worth your time just yet, Q." Karl sighed out, taking both their hands and squeezing, "The guy's a bit weird, but we can deal with it tomorrow, y'know?" He suggested, resulting in a huff in response.

The three walked back home in awkward silence, all of them reminiscing on what had just extraordinarily occurred.

Hey, at least they had new suits. That was a plus.

* * *

With the night looming over Dream's head, he pulled himself out of the bed he lay in and up to his feet. He grabbed his cloak, pulling it over his broad shoulders with a slight shove and then proceeded to check himself in the mirror. It was best he didn't wear a mask, considering he would be venturing to the servant's quarters rather than the dungeons.

To which he felt rather nervous, Dream slowly twisted the doorhandle leading out of his room and snuck out like a rabbit.

The hallway was dark, the dim light of candles bestowing the way in such grace to which Dream felt at ease throughout. With the little glow of the candles, Dream could easily spot any shadows marching down the hallway and could hide if needs be.

The hallway was, thankfully, empty. He was able to waltz down with little disruption except for the footsteps that followed his every move. He reached a staircase, carefully stepped down it, and ventured to the servant's quarters. There were a few guards walking around, but Dream ensured his face was illuminated so they wouldn't be concerned if someone new was walking around at such a late time. Some did question why he was up so late, and why he was wearing a cloak, but Dream casually brushed it off with a 'Just need to see Tommy' excuse.

Upon arrival at the servant's quarters, the hallway was long and, again, dimly lit. There was the lavender plant still thriving, and the dried blood still woven into the carpet, but Dream didn't stop to intervene with any of it. Instead, he stepped further down, closer to the door he recognised as the room George lay within.

A door creaked open, Dream froze on the spot.

He listened behind him as footsteps walked out, then froze upon spotting the silhouette of Dream. Dream could see the shadow just passing his feet thanks to the light, and he slowly twisted his head around to avoid suspicion once the figure had made its way to the middle of the hallway, blocking Dream's escape. 

"Excuse me?" The person asked, their voice slightly wavering with uncertainty. Dream twisted his whole body around to face them.

It was a fairly skinny man with patches of black skin spreading across the other patches of white. One eye was a fiery red, whilst the other one was as green as an evergreen forest. His mouth was thin, and two teeth barely poked out from the top. His hair was evenly split between black and white, the back being tied back into a small manbun. He was tall, with clear servant's nightclothes tailored well onto his body. Dream raised a hand in defence. 

"Don't mind me. Just visiting someone."

"But, Sir," The person glanced ahead of Dream's shoulder, "Those rooms are unoccupied. They're empty. Not to be a bother, or anything."

Dream forced out a chuckle, "Not at all. Anyways, I need to- someone's in one of those rooms, I need to see them, if you don't mind."

"But they're empty."

"You don't understand -"

"Sir, I think you might be getting a little confused-" He cut himself off, noticing an other door open with a young boy angrily trudging out in frustration.

Tommy. 

Tommy looked like he'd just woken up, his mouth curled into a scowl and his hands crossed over eachother. After rubbing his eyes, he glanced between the person and Dream, before speaking. 

"Ran-" he yawned, "-boo. Leave him be."

The person, named Ranboo, turned to Tommy with a confused stare, "But- But those rooms are-"

"Leave him be. He's a prince, the guy owns this place."

Ranboo's eyes widened in shock, "He's - he's the prince? Oh, gosh, I completely forgot! I didn't realise that was him, I-" He turned to Dream, his hands clasping together, "I'm so sorry, Prince Dream! I have a bad memory at times, it's easy to forget, please forgive my utter stupidity, for it was unintentional!"

Dream laughed softly, "I forgive you. There's no bother. Thanks, Tommy." He looked over at Tommy, who grunted tiredly in response.

"Welcome, Big Man. Now, Ranboo, go the fuck to bed." Tommy grumbled out, before stomping back into his room and silently shutting the door. Ranboo soon apologised once more, before silently sneaking into his room and quickly shutting the door behind him.

Now that Dream was alone again, he could continue making his way to George's room.

It wasn't much further down, he could tell which room it was when the bloodstains turned to the side a little and towards a specific door. Dream opened it slightly, letting the light from the hallway creep into the room ahead.

George was sitting upright on the bed, looking much healthier than usual. His skin was, though still pale, more coloured than the day before, and most of his injuries had mostly, if not entirely, healed over. He was staring directly at Dream, a gentle smile settled on his face as he beckoned the other to come inside hastily. Dream did so, carefully shutting the door behind him and walking over to George. 

The two exchanged silence for a moment, before George spoke, 

"I missed you." He said, softly. His fingers twirled the bedsheets around, his head hanging to the side. "I always tend to miss you during the day, it's a shame we have such short time to spend with one another."

Dream smiled, settling down on the bedside and taking hold of George's hand firmly, "It's all worth it, though," his hand intertwined their fingers together, "Missing eachother isn't a forever thing. By tomorrow, we shall see eachother every day to follow suit."

"If you believe such," George murmured, staring down at their hands in pure adoration, for Dreams philanthropy was far too sweet for him to taste, "Your pride is overbearing."

He chuckled in response, "That's just a quality of mine, you should be glad you're spending the nights with a prideful man."

"Oh, of course I'm glad," the brunette laughed softly, his voice hushed and warm, "There's nobody I'd rather be with than you."

"You nervous for tomorrow?"

"A little." A quick response, honest. George looked back up, his eyes half-lidded, "I just have to trust your plan I suppose."

Dream hummed, "I'm confident it'll work."

"And if it goes wrong?"

"It wont." He responded, squeezing George's hand in reassurance. George nodded, the silence bestowing upon them once more.

Dream shifted, his free hand moving up to George's cheek and staring deep into his eyes, the other doing the same. They exchanged long, loving eye contact for around a minute before exchanging a soft kiss. It was short, but sweet, and the two couldn't help but have a heartful laugh follow afterwards.

"I love you," Dream breathed out in between laughs, "I won't lose you tomorrow, or the day after. You have my word for it."

George leaned closer, his head resting against the crook of Dream's neck carefully, "Whatever you say. Keep your promise, remember?"

"I'll never break my promise. Haven't I told you I'm an honest man?"

George planted a gentle kiss on his neck. It didn't indicate anything, it was just a kiss. "As honest as can be. I believe you, Prince-y."

"Good. Good." He repeated, his arms cradling George close to him as he crawled into the bed next to him and they shared a long, warm cuddle beside eachother.

Dream was so in love, he almost didn't notice how George had crumbled down into tears. He knew why. He didn't even need to ask; the pressure of the thought of death would terrify anyone, even the strongest of men. Instead of speaking, Dream wiped away his tears with a gentle swipe, in which George leaned closer, and kissed his cheek.

Love doesn't always last, as Dream eventually had to stumble out of the bed and back to the door. They said their goodbyes, kissed, and Dream was soon to leave the room entirely without anymore intimacy shared between them, leaving George alone. 

The plan wouldn't go wrong. Even if it was fumbly constructed, and Dream internally had such little faith to it succeeding, it wouldn't go wrong. 

It couldn't go wrong, or else they were all suffering the consequences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again i really appreciate comments. They help the most /g

**Author's Note:**

> Comments r really appreciated they help me sososo much :D


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